


Cherry on Top

by twink_relief_fund



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Crossdressing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Multi, POV Alternating, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-10-31 22:17:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17857994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twink_relief_fund/pseuds/twink_relief_fund
Summary: Sting Eucliffe, everyone's favorite meathead business major sleaze-bag, reluctantly gets roomed with brooding writing major Rogue Cheney during their sophomore year at Fiore University. The jock/emo duo butt heads on every topic imaginable (from work ethic to sexual relations) with no peaceful end in sight. Yet somehow, through the bullshit known as college shenanigans, they start to see each other a little differently. Stay tuned for "fuck you"-fights turned bromance turned rawdogging in drag.





	1. You're a Fuckin' Dick, Dude

**Author's Note:**

> I started this back in 2017 when I heavily got back into Fairy Tail. After a shit ton of edits I think it's decent to post on here? Anyway this was supposed to be a slowburn collab based around this spicy scene I thought up of Sting and Rogue while on a 12 hour train ride, BUT that fell through so it's my own project now. 
> 
> Still not sure how many chapters it's going to have, or if I'm even going to finish it. If y'all respond well to the first two chapters I'm posting then I'll finish it. The alternative is I'll just write the sex scene and scrap all the fluff/angst/storyline LMFAO.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments! And please don't be mean to me or each other about the ships in here, we all have shit we're into.

Sting slumped in his seat. His business economics class was dragging, even though there was only fifteen minutes left. He pulled out his phone, text Natsu, then yawned loudly.

“Is something the matter, Mr. Eucliffe?” his professor stopped the lecture, forcing all eyes on the sleepy boy.

Sting smirked. “Actually, yeah. Thanks for askin’, Professor. I slept like ass and haven’t had coffee yet because my dickhead roommate didn’t save me any. Hard to keep my eyes open, y’know?”

The professor gritted his teeth. “If you’re having such difficulty, then why did you sign up for an early slot, Mr. Eucliffe?”

“Beats me. Regardless, I got the highest grade,” he said, holding his thumb and index finger to his chin. “On that note, I think I’ll show myself out. Later, Professor,” Sting winked, rising from his seat and leaving the room.

He met Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray outside the dining hall. They exchanged fist bumps, either because they got out of class early or skipped entirely, and filed inside. Sting jumped into the first open booth he saw, ignoring a purse on the table. He set down his backpack then walked to the coffee station. When he got back he heard someone getting chewed out.

“Are you guys really so dense that you can’t tell when a booth is taken?” Lucy asked, clutching her purse.

Levy was scowling behind her and Juvia stood with a hand on her hip. The guys shifted uncomfortably in their seats, avoiding any eye contact.

“Sting’s the one who snagged it, not us!” Natsu blurted.

The others nodded mindlessly, powerless to the girls in front of them. Lucy’s, Levy’s, and Juvia’s glares scorched Sting’s body.

He leaned against the booth while blowing on his coffee, unfazed by their anger. “Aw c’mon, girls. It was just an accident,” he pouted.

They tensed as he came closer with a smirk on his face. Lucy blushed when he grabbed her chin gently and looked deep into her brown eyes.

“Can’t you forgive me just this once?”

“Fuckin’ let go of her, Sting!” Natsu shouted, nearly knocking over the table with his abrupt movement.

Lucy began tremble, both out of fear and reluctant attraction to the bastard in front of her. He laughed maniacally and sat down at the booth.

“Asshole!” Levy shouted, grabbing Lucy and walking to a different part of the dining hall.

Juvia lingered, seething at the table of guys. “I expected more out of you and your friends, Gray,” she spat then left.

Gray’s mouth dropped open. “What do I have to do with this?!” he shouted after her.

She ignored him and continued to walk towards her friends. All three guys turned to Sting, eyes brimming with rage. He shrugged and continued to sip at his coffee. Natsu punched him in the arm, making the hot liquid spill on his lap.

“The fuck, man?! What was that for?” he growled.

“You know goddamn well what that was for! Don’t ever touch Lucy again, or I’ll beat your ass, Eucliffe!”

Sting sucked his teeth and got up. “Whatever, Dragneel. You don’t even have the balls to ask her out. But if it makes you feel any better, Lucy ain’t my type. Too ditsy,” he said, nonchalantly gathering his things.

Gray and Gajeel held Natsu down as he lurched forward with both fists raised.

“I’ll catch you guys at the gym later. I’m heading home to change.”

* * *

Rogue was laying on the couch, reading and drinking tea. His head snapped up as he heard the front door open. Sting slammed it behind him and tossed his backpack to the ground.

“Well you’re home early,” he said, closing his book and putting it on the table.

Sting grumbled in response and walked to his room. When he came out he was in sweats and carried a basket of clothes.

“Natsu Dickneel spilled coffee on me so I came back to change. Need anything washed?” he offered.

Rogue narrowed his eyes. Sting was deliberately leaving out what soured his mood; he could tell by the way he spat Natsu’s name and his expression. Regardless he nodded, pulled his Fiore University hoodie over his head, then tossed it at Sting.

“Be right back.”

Rogue made a noise of acknowledgment and waited for the door to close. As soon as it clicked, he pulled out his phone and text Yukino, asking what happened. When she replied he scowled, furious at his roommate’s behavior. He told her he’d handle it and waited impatiently.

Sting came back snickering, waving at someone behind him before closing the door. He almost walked into Rogue who was leaning against the entrance of the short hallway.

“You grabbed Lucy’s face?” Rogue asked accusingly.

Sting groaned and pushed past him to set the basket on the dining room table. “Relax, it was a joke.”

“You sure you’re not the only one who thought so?” his roommate questioned, walking towards him.

Sting rolled his eyes. “Dude I only lightly held her chin, that’s it. And you aren’t even close with her. Why do you care?” he defended.

Rogue’s eyes widened as his brows furrowed more. “I don’t have to be her friend to be pissed at you for being an asshole!”

Sting faked a laugh and leaned against the dining room table, crossing his arms.

“Not to mention you did that bullshit in front of Natsu?! You _know_ he likes her. If Gajeel and Gray weren’t there you’d both be bloodied in the health center right now!”

“Look. How I act with my friends is just a bit different than how you act with your friends. And it’s none of your fuckin’ business how we do shit.”

Rogue clenched his teeth and curled his fists. “So, what you’re telling me is that you can strut around, touch whoever you want however you want, and not feel an ounce of guilt?”

“Jesus Christ—I just grabbed her fucking chin for a few seconds and you’re making it sound like I sexually harassed her,” Sting groaned, knotting his fingers in his hair.

“She was uncomfortable, Sting. Anyone watching could tell. I know you’re not so goddamn dense that you can’t tell whether someone is okay with what you’re doing to them.”

Sting gulped. Lucy was blushing at the time, so it never occurred to him that she was legitimately scared.

“I can’t believe I’ve made myself late to class to lecture you,” Rogue said, shaking his head.

Sting clamped his jaw shut, too angry to reply. His roommate threw his hands in the air and turned away, walking to his room to get ready.

“And could you please, at the very least, put your dishes in the sink once you’re done with them? I’m not your fucking housekeeper,” Rogue spat after slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. He slammed the door behind him, and as soon as it was closed Sting punched the table.

‘ _The fuck does that prick think he is?_ ’ he thought, nursing his knuckles.

* * *

 “ _And_ I was late for class!”

The spoon handle dropped on the rim of the pot with a loud ringing sound. Yukino winced.

Rogue continued washing the dishes, sighing deeply. “I don’t know what to do with that jackass.”

“Well, he’s not your responsibility,” she tried.

Rogue’s shoulders tensed. “Yes, I know that, but someone needs to look after him.” He dried his hands and sat across from Yukino, who was busy studying her tea.

She looked up at him and frowned. “I’ll admit that he’s rather stubborn.”

Rogue shot her a ‘no shit, Sherlock’ look.

“But I don’t think this should be the end of your friendship.”

He pushed his forehead into his hand and brushed his bangs behind his ears. “It won’t be. _I’m_ more stubborn than that,” Rogue admitted.

Yukino flashed smile. “That’s a start. Now I should get going. It’s already 9 and I still need to shower. You and I both know how early 8ams come,” she said, standing up and gathering her books.

Rogue nodded and smiled back. After she left he rinsed her mug then turned in for the night.

Sting arrived an hour later. He threw his gym bag in front of the closet and walked to the kitchen. The scent of chicken still lingered in the air. To his surprise, there was no Tupperware containers on the leftovers shelf for him. Hurt, he shut the fridge and peered down the hallway. Rogue’s light was on, but something told Sting to stay away.

“Pizza it is, then,” he grumbled, pulling out his phone.

The next morning Sting woke up early to the sound of clanging plates.

‘ _The fuck is he doing?_ ’ he thought, slowly climbing out of bed. By the time he got down the hallway Rogue was already gone. Breakfast had been made, the dishes were done, and the coffee pot was empty. ‘ _Jesus…is he really still ticked?_ ’ A weird churning began in Sting’s stomach, and for once it wasn’t from food. He leaned against the kitchen counter with his hands behind his head.

* * *

 “What the hell did you do to Sting?” the Shirtless Wonder asked, genuinely confused.

Rogue had just gotten out of class and was taken aback by the suddenness of Gray’s question. “Excuse me?”

“He apologized to Lucy, and even us. What type of emo-devil-magic did you use on him?”

“Nothing unusual. I just scolded him,” he said, rolling his eyes and starting for his next class.

Gray gripped his shoulder and pulled him back. “Sting never listens to people, let alone being yelled at…” he trailed off.

Rogue shoved off his hand and walked away. “Guess I’m magic, then!”

Sting was haphazardly folding his laundry when he heard Rogue come back to the apartment. He stayed in his room, not planning to interact with him. That is, until he realized the hoodie he was holding was Rogue’s.

‘ _Goddamnit I need to talk to him,_ ’ he thought, sighing deeply. Sting hesitated at the door. ‘ _But what if he’s still pissed…_ ’ The churning in his stomach returned. Taking a deep breath, he headed to the kitchen. Rogue was making tea, his back turned to the bedroom hallway.

“Sorry I forgot I had this,” Sting said weakly.

Rogue turned to him slowly, eyeing the hoodie then his roommate. Sting gulped and immediately regretted his decision. After what felt like ten minutes, Rogue took it with a smile and gently punched him in the arm.

“You’re a pain in my ass.”

It may have been the afternoon sun shifting lazily through their windows, or his anxious imagination, but Rogue’s cheeks looked flushed. Relieved they were on good terms again, Sting smiled and went back to his room. Rogue opened his mouth to offer him some tea, but stopped when his phone buzzed.

‘I know parties aren’t your thing, but Lucy invited us to her last huge one. She really appreciates you setting Sting straight. Let me know if you want to go!’ It was a text from Yukino. Rogue sighed. He hated parties. There was too much alcohol, obnoxious music, and too many bad decisions. But since Lucy personally invited him, he felt obligated to go.

‘Yeah, sure.’


	2. Don't Forget to Lock the Door

Rogue and Yukino arrived at Lucy’s house, where they were immediately greeted by thumping bass and flashing lights. People were drinking on the lawn, on the balcony, and even on the roof. The scent of weed and cigarettes hung heavy in the air. They cringed at the sight of their peers and classmates getting trashed.

“Why are we here again?” Rogue grumbled. His hands were shoved into his black jeans pockets. It was draining enough for him to go to class. Social events did nothing for him, let alone ones with strangers.

Yukino smiled sympathetically. “You know how Lucy loves to include everyone. I couldn’t say no to her. Besides, it’s the last party before classes get overwhelming.”

Rogue sighed. Even if his workload wasn’t huge yet, there were still assignments to get a head start on. He shifted uneasily on his feet and smoothed out his gray v-neck. Yukino picked fuzz from her strapless light blue dress. Before she could suggest walking in, they heard their names being called. Lucy came running towards them from the back of the house. She had a pink towel wrapped around her waist and a white bikini top on. The cheerleader captain threw her arms open and pulled Yukino into a hug.

“You two made it!” she beamed.

Rogue feigned a smile and declined her offer for a hug.

“Why don’t you come in? Standing here in the front gate is a little strange.”

Yukino laughed awkwardly and looked back to Rogue for an explanation. He shrugged, and the two followed Lucy to the front door.

Right as she was about to open it, Natsu came speeding around the corner with a large bucket of water. He dumped it over her and fell in hysterics. Lucy threw the bucket at his head chased him to the back of the house, a trail of obscenities following her. Yukino and Rogue hesitated, then heard a loud splash and cheering.

“I guess Lucy has a pool,” Rogue said.

His best friend sighed and pushed open the front door. Inside it was packed. There was a hookah on the living room table, with people puffing clouds all around it. The kitchen counter was lined with bottles of hard liquor and glasses waiting to be filled. Pretzels, tortilla chips, wings, and a variety of dips covered the dining room table. Cana spotted the two scoping out their surroundings and stumbled over.

“Yo, Yukino, uh, Rogue! Grab a drink, or five, we have enough for the whole university!” She flashed a toothy smile and then headed back to the kitchen to grab another beer.

The pair exchanged a glance then slowly walked into the house. Yukino’s white heels clacked on the hardwood floors, but it was barely audible above the music. They ended up in the kitchen in search of water bottles, as neither of them drank. Rogue searched the fridge, but came out empty handed.

“If you’re looking for water, it’s in the cooler next to the island.”

Rogue jumped and turned to see Gajeel mixing a drink at the marble counter. His huge biceps flexed at every little movement he made.

“Oh, thanks.”

“You come here with Yukino?” the meathead asked, leaning against the cabinets and taking a gulp of his drink.

“Yeah, she’s right there,” Rogue gestured to the space behind him.

When Gajeel raised an eyebrow, the boy spun around and froze. His shy best friend was gone. He desperately scanned the crowd for her bright, white hair. The fear in his throat was a mix of wanting to protect her from creeps and _not_ wanting to be alone at a party. A large hand patted him on the back.

“Relax. I’m sure she’s fine. Me n’ a couple others were gonna start a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. C’mon.”

Before Rogue could object, the muscled upperclassman was leading him to the living room. Gray and Natsu were carrying the hookah to the back porch, and the smokers followed. A different crowd settled around the low wooden table. He spotted Yukino and was about to sit next to her until he noticed Minerva by her side. The class president sat back, legs crossed and arms spread across the back of the loveseat. Her short, black bodycon dress clung to her body. He rolled his eyes and sat on the floor. Something about that girl set off alarms in his head. Yukino, like many others, fell under her spell.

“Hey, Sting! Finish that bottle then get your ass over here,” Minerva shouted.

Rogue’s breath hitched in his throat. ‘ _Sting’s here?_ ’ he thought, fingers tensing on his knees. He turned to see his cocky roommate strutting over with a bottle in hand. His semi-tight jeans started falling, showing off the band of his boxers. In contrast, his olive-green crop top defined his muscular pecs.

“Alright, alright, calm down. Here, take it.” He tossed the bottle onto her lap, to which she glared in response. Sting then sat down next to Rogue and nudged him. “Yo roomie. Shocked to see ya here. Didja think there’d be books or somethin’?” he teased.

Rogue fought back the urge to throttle him as the group laughed.

“Save it, Eucliffe. Now who’s going first?” Minerva asked them all, but no one volunteered. She shook her head at how lackluster they were. “Alright, fine. I’ll pick someone.” Minerva scanned their now tense faces, and landed on Gray.

“Fullbuster! Get ready.”

“Ahh, goddamnit,” he mumbled, moving forward in his seat and setting down his beer. Everyone watched as the bottle spun, anticipating who it would land on. It began to slow, slower still, and then stopped. As if on cue, everyone burst out laughing.

“Wait, wha—FUCK, WHY ME?!” Natsu screamed.

Gajeel and Lucy doubled over. Sting was in tears from laughing so hard.

Minerva chuckled sinisterly. “Go on, boys. You know how this game works.”

Natsu chugged his beer, crushed the can on his head, then cracked his knuckles. Gray took the hint and ripped off his shirt.

“So that’s how you wanna do this, ehh, Dragneel? Let’s go!” The two sped upstairs.

Lucy groaned, knowing how aggressive they usually get. “If you break anything, you’re paying for it!”

While the group discussed who would win, Rogue was thoroughly confused.

‘ _What the hell is this game?_ ’ he thought. Before he could ask someone what was going on, he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Gajeel.

“Yo, drink this. It’ll help you loosen up a bit.” The upperclassmen offered him a red solo cup.

Rogue squirmed. “I don’t drink, sorry.”

“Ahh, c’mon. First time for everything, yeah?”

Rogue hesitated, quickly glanced at Yukino who was still beside Minerva, then grabbed the drink.

Gajeel smiled. “Gihee, don’t worry, kid. Nothin’ here is drugged. I don’t tolerate that shit.”

The nervous boy nodded then took a sip. It was incredibly fruity, almost sweet, but shortly after followed an intense burning in his throat. “Shit, what is this?” Rogue asked through a cough.

“Just vodka, pineapple juice, orange juice, and fruit punch. Too strong?” Minerva teased.

He glared at her and took a huge gulp. “Hardly. I’ll be fine.” As he got halfway through the drink, he felt his head getting fuzzy. A warmth spread through his body. Rogue was confused by the sensation, but enjoyed it. He started cracking jokes with the others and making snide remarks that made his roommate groan. By the time Natsu and Gray returned, both thoroughly covered in fist marks and sporting busted lips, Rogue finished the drink. Though still unpleasant, the taste grew on him.

“Hey Gajeel, can I get another?” he asked, raising his cup.

The meathead cracked a wide grin, then went back to the kitchen. Minerva spun the bottle again. Everyone was confused; she never announced who would be going next. Content with their fidgeting and murmurs, she sat back and rested her cheek on her hand. When Gajeel came back with another drink for Rogue, the bottle had landed on Freed.

“Uh?” He looked to Minerva for answer.

She smiled. “You and Levy, now go.”

The pair looked at each other excitedly.

“Are we going to talk about…?!”

“Duh! Let’s go!”

Levy and Freed raced to the stairwell. Rogue furrowed his brows as he swallowed another gulp of the vodka mix. ‘ _So…if they’re happy about getting picked, then this isn’t a fucked up fight club…what the hell’s going on?_ ’ he thought.

After seven minutes passed the two returned, giggling like children. Minerva readied the bottle, making eye contact with everyone before spinning.

“Eucliffe, you’re next.”

Sting was unfazed. “Whatever, just get it over with.” He leaned back on his hands and watched as she spun the bottle with a smirk on her face. Several girls sat forward, eager for a chance with him. Sting just picked fabric from the tear in his jeans. As he flicked a balled-up string to the floor, the group gasped. He looked up and saw that the bottle had landed next to him, facing is roommate. Sting’s eyes widened. Rogue cocked his head to the side.

“Well? What are you two waiting for? The guest bedroom is upstairs, second door on the right,” Minerva winked.

Sting stood up uneasily, rolled back his shoulders, and headed to the stairwell. Rogue looked to Yukino for guidance, but only received a weak thumbs-up. He swallowed the last bit of his drink, put the cup on the floor, then followed Sting.

When he got to the door his trembling hand hesitated to turn the knob. ‘ _What the fuck am I doing? I don’t even know what this bullshit is,_ ’ he thought. If he left now he could avoid all the nonsense, but that would leave his best friend vulnerable. Making an ass out of himself wasn’t worth abandoning her, so he took a deep breath and went in.

Sting was on the edge of the bed. His head whipped towards the door, and Rogue could’ve sworn he saw a blush color his cheeks. Before either of them could process the situation, Sting stood up and shut the door behind his roommate, locking it. Rogue felt his face heat up as Sting grabbed his wrist and tossed him on the bed. The flustered boy scrambled up and leaned against the pillows, mouth agape.

“W-what’re you doing?” he stammered, eyes glued to the guy kneeling in front of him. Sting chuckled, and slowly spread apart Rogue’s clamped legs.

“Shh, it’s called Seven Minutes in Heaven for a reason. Now relax,” he cooed, rubbing his thumbs into Rogue’s inner thighs.

‘ _Oh…oh no,_ ’ the flustered boy thought. Arousal began shooting through his lower half, despite his mind reeling. He looked into Sting’s sharp blue eyes and felt the tenseness leave his muscles. They stayed that way for a second, the glance and a slight nod confirming consent.

Rogue stayed still as Sting closed the space between them, softly pressing his lips to his roommate’s. At that moment, Rogue felt butterflies explode in his stomach. Without thinking he snaked his hands up Sting’s sides and let them knot in his blond hair. Sting scooted closer, pressing Rogue’s legs into the mattress, and started straddling him. The contact of hips to hips made them both sigh and pull away from the kiss. Rogue’s half lidded eyes were clouded with lust. Sting smirked, then leaned in and bit his bottom lip. He moaned softly and slid his tongue inside Sting’s mouth, surprising him. They continued to make out, lost in each other’s warmth, ignoring the dull thumping at the door.

Sting pulled away, lips shining with their spit, and stripped his crop top. He reached for the hem of Rogue’s shirt and pulled it off swiftly. When he leaned back down he kissed him harder, grinding his arousal firmly against his roommate’s. Rogue moaned and grinded back, causing Sting to pin down his arms. He took that as a challenge. Rouge sat up and pushed Sting back. He began to speak, but the buzzed boy cut him off with a kiss, trailing down his jawline to his neck. Sting’s eyes widened as Rogue bit down hard then licked where his teeth were. His eyelids fluttered as his roommate switched between teeth and tongue. Rogue sighed on the wet skin then attacked Sting’s earlobe.

“Shit…” he moaned, digging his nails into Rogue’s shoulders. Rogue growled in his ear and continued biting it. The pressure in both their jeans was getting unbearable. Sting reached down and undid Rogue’s, letting his fingers brush against his length while pulling down the zipper, and then opened his own. Rogue’s body tensed and shuddered at the brief touch.

“Damn you’re actually…”

“What?” Rogue swallowed hard through uneven breaths and looked at Sting, who looked back at him hungrily.

“Eager,” Sting said in a husky voice while wrapping his hand around Rogue’s erection. He rubbed him through the fabric, earning a sharp and embarrassed gasp.

“Says you,” Rogue retorted shakily, reaching to brush his thumb over the damp spot tenting out of Sting’s jeans. Sting bit his lip and pushed Rogue on his back, pulling down his jeans before he hit the mattress. Right as Sting hooked his fingers beneath the band of Rogue's underwear, they heard voices at the door. Both boys froze, glanced at each other, and scrambled to get dressed.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” Sting swore as he struggled to get on the tight crop top.

Rogue admired his roommates rippling muscles, then quickly pulled on his shirt and jeans when he heard the door knob jiggle.

“Yo I think they locked it,” one voice said.

“Tch! Lemme handle this.”

Sting and Rogue recognized the second voice as Gajeel and immediately stood up, fearing for the door’s safety.

“Don’t you dare break it!” Lucy shouted.

Right as Gajeel readied his shoulder, the door swung open with Sting leaning against it. He studied his nails then looked up, as if he wasn’t freaking out five seconds ago.

“Relax, guys. The knob just gets stuck every now and then. It wasn’t locked,” he lied, keeping a straight face.

“What the shit were you doing?! You and Rogue were in there for fifteen minutes!” Gray shouted.

Rogue’s face went redder than his eyes when he heard that. He stayed back on the bed, praying the crowd would be gone soon.

“Seriously, I came up and banged on the door, and you didn’t respond,” Natsu added. His lip was still swollen from earlier.

Sting smirked. “We were just talking. I thought the knocking was the bass.”

Minerva shot him a knowing look from behind Lucy, while the others shrugged and accepted the excuse. They filtered back downstairs, while the class president lingered, hands on her hips.

“Talking, hm?” she said, glancing at Sting’s open jeans. The spit on his neck gleaned from the moonlight spilling through the open windows.

He rubbed off the cooling fluid, trying to ignore his heated face.

She motioned him to follow her back to the living room. “The game’s not over. Right now, Lucy and Cana are queued up for this bedroom,” Minerva said, glancing down again then leaving.

Before Sting followed, he looked back at Rogue, who was still gripping the bed, and winked as he fixed his jeans.

The tense boy’s heart stopped. ‘ _I’m going to see him later in our dorm room what the dicks is he thinking oh my god goddamn you, Sting Eucliffe._ ’ His thoughts raced as he headed back to the kitchen, trying to be as casual as possible.

“So? What did you do?” asked a voice behind him. He jumped and turned to see Yukino smiling devilishy. Her breath smelled faintly like the fruity drinks he downed earlier.

“Jesus Christ—not now,” he sighed. “Let’s go before this gets worse.”

She giggled at his antsy behavior and the two left together.

* * *

“Well? What happened?” Yukino pressed. She leaned towards him from the passenger seat, eager for her best friend’s reply.

He sighed and sank in his seat. “I walked in the room and next thing I know I’m on my back with his tongue in my mouth.” Rogue left one hand on the steering wheel, the other rested against his door. He ran fingers through his bangs and groaned.

Yukino stifled a laugh and rubbed his shoulder. “At least you don’t live together?” She offered, then clamped her mouth shut when he shot her a ‘He’s my goddamn roommate what the hell are you talking about’ look. Right as he was about to continue, “Make Me Like You” came on the radio while they were at a stop light. Instead of turning it off like he usually did, Rogue froze.

The lyrics washed over him and enveloped him in the reality he now faced. ‘ _I just had an almost one-night stand with my (bi???) roommate emphasis on_ roommate _and his soft lips and deep blue eyes and hard d—muscles oh god oh fuck what the hell am I going to do_ I live with him’ he thought frantically as the song carried on.

“Uh, Rogue?”

He turned sharply towards her, on the brink of screaming.

“The light?”

He looked up and swore under his breath, slamming on the gas. The rest of the ride was spent in silence, Yukino not wanting to provoke him, and Rogue in a stupor. When they arrived at their dorm parking lot he slammed his head on the steering wheel. His best friend hesitantly rubbed his back as he groaned yet again.

“Hey, let’s go in and get some rest, okay? We both need it,” she said.

Rogue glanced at the dashboard clock. The blue numbers read 1:54am. ‘ _Blue like his eyes…_ ’ he thought, then mentally slapped himself.

“Yeah, good idea.” Rogue turned off the car then walked Yukino to her floor. They hugged, said goodnight, and she stopped him from slamming his head into the wall. He smiled weakly at her then walked down to his floor. As he was opening his door, he heard voices from down the hall gossiping about Lucy’s party.

“Apparently Sting and Rogue got stuck in Lucy’s guest bedroom during Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

“Ha! Like I’ll believe that.”

Rogue gritted his teeth, annoyed that word had already gotten out. The people in his dorm thrived off spreading rumors.

“The doorknob was STUCK!” he shouted at the voices and slammed his door. Pissed off and blushing madly, he kicked off his shoes at the closet and trudged to his room. Once inside he slammed that door, flopped on his bed, and groaned into his pillow.


	3. The Aftermath

Sting woke up to the scent of coffee and sizzling bacon. He sat up, stretched, then slid on a pair of sweatpants. Last night was…fascinating, to say the least. The last time he’d gotten handsy with a guy was freshmen year during a saucy round of Truth or Dare. Sting didn’t dislike men, he often found himself admiring others at the gym for more than just their form, but he preferred the softness of girls.

Or so he thought.

Rogue’s electricity lingered in his system far longer than he was prepared to deal with. No one got the best of Sting Eucliffe, except apparently mopey emo boys with facial scars

In the kitchen Rogue was making breakfast, humming and swaying his hips to some song on the radio. Sting blushed and watched him for a second from the doorway, admiring the way the lean boy moved his body. As Rogue spun around he opened his eyes, realizing with horror he had an audience.

“Jesus Christ—when did you get here? A-are you hungry?” his roommate stammered, trying to regain his balance. He unconsciously punched off the radio.

Sting laughed at how ungraceful Rogue was when flustered.

“Yeah, I’ll eat somethin’. What’re you making?” he asked, moving closer to look into the frying pan.

Rogue’s body became visibly stiffer. ‘ _Does he not remember last night? Is it not bothering him?_ ’ His thoughts continued to hinder his movements until the scent of burning bacon filled his nostrils.

“Shit—uh, just this,” he pointed awkwardly to the stove and stack of pancakes on the counter next to him.

Sting scanned it, then his roommates face, and shifted to the cupboard for a mug. He poured himself coffee, then sat at their dining room table.

“I didn’t know you could dance.”

Rogue stopped, again, and his face turned 50 shades of red. The bacon hissed threateningly, forcing him to pay attention. “Y-yeah! Just started, actually.”

Sting raised an eyebrow and continued to sip from his Fiore University mug. “Really? Your movements were pretty fluid for a beginner,” the shirtless boy pointed out.

Rogue swallowed hard and shrugged, not daring to turn around. ‘ _He’s just fucking with me right now,_ ’ he thought, skeptical of how relaxed his roommate was. This was entirely new territory for Rogue. He didn’t know what the appropriate response was in a situation like this. Was it normal for roommates, who hated each other up until recently, to feel each other up and sensually make out on a stranger’s bed? Was it no big deal to make said roommate breakfast the following morning? Could he kiss him again? Hold his hand? Rogue forced his thoughts away and prepared a plate for Sting.

“So, did you enjoy the party last night?” Rogue sat the meal in front of him and awkwardly leaned against the table.

His roommate’s cheeks turned pink. “Oh, that? Yeah, it was pretty fun. I love when Natsu and Gray beat each other’s asses after they’ve had a few drinks.” Sting swallowed hard. He couldn’t quite read Rogue’s expression, putting him on edge. 

“Did you? I know parties aren’t really you’re thing, but—”

Rogue cut him off by coughing aggressively. “Sorry, something got caught in my throat,” he lied. “It was alright, but I don’t think I’ll be going to one for a while now. Those type of things drain me too much.”

Sting nodded. Silence filled the room, neither wanting to talk about what was really on their mind. ‘ _How many times has he done that before?_ ’ Sting thought and bounced his legs. Rogue wasn’t particularly flawless in his execution last night, but the ravenousness behind his actions is what kept Sting hungry. There was a sudden magnetism, a spark that ignited a heat in Rogue that he’d never encountered in a lover before.

Rogue picked up on the shift in his energy and quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, I have to go meet Yukino at the library. We’re planning on getting ahead on the project for our environment class.” He untied the apron from his waist, pulled it over his head, and shook his hair.

Sting stared shamelessly. Rogue was wearing a tight black tank top underneath. He watched as his roommate walked to his room to get dressed for the day. ‘ _Fuck, since when was his ass that round?_ ’ Sting thought without a shred of guilt. His mind lingered on the image of Rogue’s ass, his lips, and his lean frame. Suddenly he was craving that electricity again. But under what context could he get another taste? Rogue didn’t seem the type to agree to more casual hooking up.

“Well I’m out. Catch you later?” Rogue said, sounding more desperate than he intended.

Sting looked in a daze. Realizing he was caught, he quickly crossed his legs and nodded, trying to ignore what looked like a blush on his roommate’s face. As the door shut behind him, Sting shook his head and laughed. ‘ _I’m probably so fucked,_ ’ he thought as he started on his breakfast.

* * *

 “Thirty bucks Lucy still chooses clothes over a new bed frame though.” The table erupted in laughter. Rufus smirked at his accomplishment, earning a fist bump from Sting.

“I dunno, it’s a thing to just have a mattress on the floor, right?”

“That’s called poverty, Orga. Her parents are loaded.”

“How do you think she’ll explain it to them?” Sting asked through a mouthful of sandwich. After Rogue and Yukino left, the game turned into ‘how quickly can we convince everyone we’re fucking,’ for what, no one knew, which resulted in one too many college kids jumping and rocking on the already rickety bed.

“A bear got in,” Orga offered.

Rufus shot him a look. “And destroyed only the guest room bed?”

Defeated again, Orga pouted and kept eating.

“Or, she can say two dragons fought on it,” said a voice behind them. Minerva sat down in front of Sting with a smirk on her face.

He swallowed his bite and looked her dead in the eye. “Damn right she can.”

Rufus and Orga exchanged a confused glance.

“Is…is she talking about you and Rogue?”

“Yes I am,” Minerva answered for him.

The other two went silent. Sting sat back with his arms behind his head.

“I…wow, Sting. I didn’t know you were—”

“I’m not. But we fucked so hard the bed dented the wall. I’m surprised you didn’t hear him screaming my name. Or see him try to walk afterwards,” Sting said, cutting off Orga.

Rufus blushed and tried to hide it behind a napkin, pretending to wipe his mouth. He knew there was a rumor going around about what actually happened during those fifteen minutes, but to hear Sting flat out confirm one of the most popular ones was more than he could handle.

“What, do you want a chance with him too, Rufus?”

The boy in question turned ten times redder. Sting chuckled.

“S-shut up, Minerva. Why are you even here right now?” Rufus asked, desperately trying to change the subject. Unfortunately for him, she wasn’t having it.

“I just got out of class and spotted you three. But never mind that. Next time Lucy has a party I’ll invite you and make sure you two get paired for the bedroom,” she said, pointing to him and Sting. “Now I have to go get ready for a date, ciao boys.”

Rufus buried his face in his hands. When he looked up Sting winked at him.

“Goddamnit I’m leaving,” he spat, ungracefully getting up and walking away.

Sting doubled over laughing and Orga shook his head.

“That…didn’t actually happen, did it, Sting?” Orga asked tentatively.

“God, no, dude. But Rufus is so fun to fuck with,” Sting admitted.

* * *

 Yukino watched Rogue stomp around her dorm living room. He threw his hands in the air, covered his face, screamed into palms, and continued ranting about last night. She winced as his voice cracked. Rogue slumped against a wall and slid, groaning on his way down.

“Am I supposed to say anything?” he asked, eyes bloodshot.

Yukino put down her cup of tea and sighed. “I don’t…I’m not sure. How was he acting this morning?”

“His usual douchey self, as if nothing happened.”

She pursed her lips and adverted her eyes from Rogue’s desperate gaze. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were wrinkled, and his hands were shaking. The person before her was nothing like her well-kept best friend.

“If you want, I could ask Minerva—”

“Do _not_ let that wench know this has affected me,” he cut her off sharply.

She shot him a look for the unnecessary insult. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. They were supposed to be at the library two hours ago, but by now the study room they reserved was up for grabs. Rogue cursed himself for his lack of self-control.

“So was he…”

“Was he what?”

“…was he your first kiss?”

Rogue was caught off guard by the question. He thought back to high school when he got his ass beaten in the locker room after a rumor had spread that he was taking pictures of guys changing. Middle school eliminated any chances of oral intimacy because of his black banded braces, and he didn’t feel safe dating the summer before moving away to college. The closest he came to a kiss was watching porn long after his parents went to sleep.

“I guess…yeah.” It was weird to think of Sting that way, as a first instead of as a messy almost hook-up. Sting was his roommate, his friend, his…crush? No, there was no way he actually had feelings for the prick. Sure, Sting was hot, flaunting his muscular body to anyone with a hint of curiosity, but his personality made him impossible to stay around for too long. Rogue was almost convinced by his logic until his heart sped up thinking about that first kiss again.

“Maybe I’m just horny,” Rogue admitted more to himself than Yukino.

“What!? You mean, _now_?”

“Jesus, no, I’m sorry. I just…mean in general. Or for guys. I don’t fucking know.”

* * *

 Rogue didn’t get back to the dorm until seven. He and Yukino ended up finding an empty study room at the library and worked on a project for a few hours. Both were still drained from the party, so they headed back early. Rogue was more than ready to spend the rest of his Saturday catching up some reading. When he stepped inside his apartment he smelled stale grease and saw the plate from Sting’s breakfast still on the dining room table.

“Goddamnit, can he do anything useful?” the frustrated boy grumbled. He proceeded to do the dishes, dry them off, and put them away in their proper places. After glancing at the clock he walked to his room, grabbed pajamas and a fresh pair of boxers, then headed to the bathroom. Rogue turned on the shower and stared at himself in the mirror. ‘I look like I’m dead,’ he thought. As he scanned his bare torso he noticed small crescent-shaped marks on his shoulders. Confused he leaned closer to the mirror and realized they were nail marks. Sting’s nail marks.

“Oh, come on!” Rogue shouted, throwing his shirt to the floor. Blood rushed to his groin as the memory of his roommate straddling him filled his mind. He felt Sting’s breath on his lips and the pressure of his fingers on his shoulders. He smelled the nervous sweat trailing down his back and his Old Spice deodorant. Rogue’s head hung down as he gripped the sink and forced himself to focus. ‘ _Just get in the goddamn shower and maybe fuck yourself but just_ get clean _, you horny bastard,_ ’ he thought.

Thirty minutes later Sting arrived. He spent the rest of his day playing frisbee with Natsu and Gajeel after lunch. By the time they were done, all three were covered in dirt and grass stains. Sting was invited to party at 8, so he wanted to shower before heading out. When he was walking up to his floor, he noticed several girls grouped together whispering and staring at him. To their surprise, his stretched so his loose crop top lifted and showed off his abs, then winked at them. He laughed after hearing a collective ‘oh my god.’

In the apartment, he noticed the dishes were done and the table wiped clean. A pang of guilt shot through him. ‘ _Guess Rogue was here,_ ’ he thought, walking to his room for clean clothes. He chose a sleeveless hoodie and ripped jeans then headed to the bathroom. Without a second thought he turned the knob and walked in.

Rogue stood naked in front of the mirror, hair pushed back behind his ears while he rubbed lotion into his arms. He looked up from his skin at the blushing reflection then stumbled backwards, desperately reaching for a towel.

“STING WHAT THE FUCK,” he shouted, turning red.

The accused searched for words but was struck dumb by the sight before him. His mouth hung open as his eyes lingered on the marks on Rogue’s shoulders, then rested on his face. This was the first time he saw his roommate’s face without hair covering half of it.

“STING,” Rogue shouted again, now clutching a towel to his body.

“FUCK—I’M SORRY I DIDN’T THINK YOU WERE HOME,” he shouted back, shutting the door and covering his face with his clothes. His heart hammered in his throat, threatening to burst.

Rogue put his pajamas on haphazardly and sped to his room, ignoring his suffocating roommate. After a minute of being paralyzed, Sting shuffled in the bathroom and locked the door behind him.


	4. Notch on the Bedpost

Rogue froze with his head bowed over the sink, toothpaste foamed at the corners of his mouth. He was dizzy from sleeping like shit last night, having been woken up multiple times by Sting’s loud lover and the creaking of his bed.

Honestly it hurt a little bit. Rogue knew Sting lost interest in him when he overheard him bragging about getting head in the gender-neutral bathroom weeks ago, but that didn’t dull the pain. In a way he felt betrayed; Rogue allowed Sting to be intimate with him, a privilege no one received before, and he just moved on to be in the guts of a stranger he brought home last night. It was disgusting. It was inconsiderate. It was…none of his business. Rogue struggled to swallow over the growing lump in his throat. Ultimately, he and Sting were roommates. They touched, they kissed, but they never established any form of exclusiveness. He could be upset over the way Sting treated the situation, but that was about it.

The front door slammed, making Sting and his partner jump. He smiled uncomfortably when she shot him a look.

“Sorry, dollface. Forgot he had morning classes today.”

She giggled and snuggled back against him. Her hair covered his nose and mouth, and all he could think was how he’d rather be with the guys. Quickly running out of patience, he whipped up a lie.

“Hey, I have a meeting with one of my professor’s soon. You should get going.”

She sighed in protest, but he sat up anyway. Taking the hint, she got dressed, tried to kiss him goodbye but when he turned away, she left with a scowl on her face.

‘ _Oh, thank god,_ ’ he thought while walking to the kitchen to make coffee.

 

Yukino frowned when she saw Rogue nodding off in class. Afterwards she nudged him gently, making him bolt upright.

“Are you alright?”

“Hm? Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

She was unconvinced.

“Sting just had a uh, ‘guest’ over last night, and they kept waking me up.”

Yukino rolled her eyes. If she hated anything, it was guys who slept around with no regard for who they bedded.

“Come on, let’s get some coffee in you,” she said, lightly rubbing his back.

           

Rogue sat slumped at a table in the dining hall, barely able to keep his eyes open. Yukino went to grab him coffee and buttered toast. As she walked back, she overheard Sting’s name. Curiosity forced her to linger a little longer.

“He just kicked her out this morning, claiming he had a meeting to go to.”

“Oh my god, he’s such an asshole. I can’t tell if that’s better or worse than leaving in the middle of the night, though…”

“I don’t know, but either way she was pissed. And isn’t she, like, the fifth person he’s slept with since last week?”

At that Yukino couldn’t take it anymore. She stormed back over to Rogue, setting down his meal then sitting with a scowl on her face.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” he asked, immediately attentive to her sour mood.

Yukino huffed, reluctant to tell Rogue what she just heard. “Your roommate is a prick.”

His eyes widened. Yukino never swore, and when she did it meant she was fuming.

“Well we all know that. What did he do now?”

“Apparently, he’s slept with five girls, excluding the one this morning, within the past two weeks.”

Rogue opened his mouth but quickly shut it when she kept going.

“And what makes it worse is that he left each one in the middle of the night, _except this morning_ , when he kicked her out!”

He cringed at her escalating tone and his roommate’s behavior. “As much as I’d like to, I’m not sure I’d be able to scold him out of doing that,” Rogue admitted. Something like jealously lingered in his stomach, but he dismissed it for disappointment.

“I want to hit him with his gym bag,” Yukino grumbled, arms crossed.

Rogue feigned a smile at the thought but couldn’t ignore the growing unease he felt about the situation. It was a known fact at Fiore U that Sting was one of the sleaziest people on campus. His sexual prowess knew no bounds, as he found out at Lucy’s party, and now he was a name on the ever-growing list. To his surprise, though, he hadn’t been heckled as much as he was expecting. Maybe college kids really didn’t care about people being queer, but the lingering fear stopped him from trying to pursue anything with guys. Rogue finished the last of his coffee and looked to Yukino, who decided to read in his silence.

“Let’s go. I don’t want to be around people anymore.”

* * *

 “Oh, Sting!” It was three in the morning. Rogue laid stiff in bed, fuming that he woke up again. In five hours he had a final, and he only went to bed two hours ago. He half considered just staying up but thought against it and grabbed his iPod instead.

“Ahh fuck—”

“Jesus Christ shut _up_!” Rogue screamed into his pillow. By now he hardly cared if there was anything between him and Sting from that night. After listening to his sort-of crush plow into multiple people in the span of two weeks the magic of their kiss entirely wore off. He just wanted to get through finals with As. Lingering gay regret could wait another month.

Hours later he was passed out on the couch, loosely holding notes for a different exam. A half full mug of coffee and a bottle of ibuprofen sat on the table. The front door opened, making him jolt awake.

“Well someone’s sleepy,” Sting teased. He looked well rested.

Rogue glared at him, his bloodshot eyes glowing red.

“Yikes, what gotten into you?”

“You and your ‘friend’ woke me up. And kept me up. Again,” he snarled.

Sting looked away and rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry, dude. It just helps me relax. Y’know, finals week and all.”

“Oh, I know. Believe me.”

Sting winced at the harshness of Rogue’s tone.

“Look, I don’t care what, or _who_ , you do in your private life. Just please, for my sake and my grades’, please do it somewhere else. Or when I’m not home! You know my schedule by now.”

“Gotcha…”

Rogue’s stomach went hollow. Sting never backed down easily, he made everything he could into a challenge. Seeing him shrink himself down without even trying to get the last word made Rogue feel somewhat guilty. For a moment he had the urge to reach out to him, to pet his head and forgive him, but right now his grades were more important.

“Now let me take a nap,” he pouted.

Sting forced a laugh and went to his room.

 

 “Man, these girls are so goddamn clingy,” Sting groaned, scrolling through several texts on his phone screen.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and sat on the locker room bench, untying his gym shoes.

“Maybe you should stop sleeping around, then?” Natsu offered, pulling his shirt over his head.

Sting glared at him then smirked. “Like you’re one to talk, Dragneel. Look at those nail marks, god _damn_ , boy!” Sting said as he dragged a finger down the raised skin.

Natsu arched under the touch. “Quit it, you jackass!”

“So who was it?” Gajeel asked with a knowing grin.

“Stay out of this!”

Gray walked over in just his boxers, shaking his head. “Come on, guys. Don’t make him say it.”

“Would you put some fuckin’ clothes on?!” Gajeel shouted.

Sting snorted at the shit-show and threw his phone in his bag, leaving all the texts unanswered.

“Anyway, this started with you,” Gajeel directed to Sting, who raised an eyebrow.

“Why don’t you sleep with different people?”

Sting ran through a list of people he’s fucked in his head. No one he took to bed recently impressed him enough for seconds, and he hardly remembered most of his party hookups, as most of them were done in a semi-sober stupor. But one stood out to him. The ghost of Rogue’s teeth sank into his neck, shooting insatiable hunger through his body. Sting shrugged off the thought and cleared his throat. “Like who, dude?”

“Shit, I don’t know who you have and haven’t fucked,” Gajeel spat, giving him a look.

Gray pulled his necklace back on then snapped his fingers. “What about Rufus?”

All three guys stopped what they were doing and slowly turned towards him.

“Uh?” Sting paused with his backpack halfway on his shoulder.

“Well he’s clearly drawn to you. And you got with Rogue, didn’t you?”

“I told you we only talked,” he said, playing with his earring.

Gray narrowed his eyes. “For fifteen minutes?”

“It’s possible!” Sting shouted, his patience slowly slipping.

“Possible doesn’t mean it happened,” Gajeel pointed out with a smirk.

“Stay out of this!”

Natsu snickered at seeing Sting being defensive. Few topics, if any, could get him frustrated. Fortunately for Sting, Natsu didn’t use any brainpower to put two and two together. The guys finished getting ready then headed to the dining hall.

“Why don’t you try for a relationship?” Gray offered. The other three faked a laugh in unison. He rolled his eyes at their childishness. “I’m being serious!”

“Yeah, and Sting can’t be. Especially with girls,” Gajeel reminded him.

Sting chewed his lip and pondered the thought but shuddered shortly after. “Not gonna happen, man. Commitment ain’t my thing. There’s just too much to do.”

“Here's an idea: start looking at women as people and maybe you'll find one you like for more than one night,” Gray spat.

Natsu and Gajeel exchanged a wide-eyed glance, uncertain where the conversation would go from here. Sting’s jaw tensed, but quickly relaxed as he dropped his backpack into a seat.

“Fine, I’ll do it. I just have to figure out who would fall for my tricks—uh, di—fuck I mean…you know what I mean!” he stammered, walking away to grab food.

* * *

 The new semester began with a blizzard. Fiore University was buried under two feet of snow, but not a single professor cancelled their classes. Students waddled in layers of coats and thermals and flannels from building to building, desperate to be outside for as little time as possible. ‘ _Not exactly a great look for the ladies,_ ’ Sting thought as he watched a girl with pink cheeks and a runny nose pass by. He had a scarf wrapped tightly around his face, both to protect him from the cold and to cover up that his own nose was running. Once inside he stomped his boots and began stripping off layers. To make up for the frigid outside, Fiore U kept all building temperatures two degrees above hell.

“Fuck me,” he murmured, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Welp, time to get this over with,” he sighed as he headed upstairs. If he remembered correctly, Yukino’s class was on the second floor.

Yukino left her first class of the semester with a smile. Because she took on so many requirements last semester, her schedule this time around was much more relaxed. She finally had a chance to take ceramics with Lucy and poetry with Levy, two classes she’d been promising to join since they started getting close last year. With a pep in her step and a tummy full of doughnuts from her last professor, Yukino headed to her next class, excited to be ahead of schedule.

“Yo, Yukino!” Sting came strutting over to her with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Her expression immediately dropped.

“Whatcha up to, girl?”

“On my way to class,” she said curtly.

He glanced at a clock in the hall then back at her. “Already? You still have twenty minutes.”

“Yes, and I like to be early.” She refused to make eye contact.

Sting swallowed his impatience and kept his cool. ‘ _Since when was she such a grump?_ ’ he thought.

“Oh, yeah I get that. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanna—”

“No.”

“Christ, woman, let me finish. I was just going to ask—”

“I said no.” Yukino quickened her pace. She couldn’t forget Sherry’s face as she cried about Sting never texting her back. Or Laki’s voice when she said Sting left her place in the middle of the night. Or how Jenny slammed a bottle of wine after seeing Sting with a new girl.

“Look, I want to talk to you, okay? Can you at least give me that?”

She stopped then spun on her heel to face him. Sting backed up, unprepared for the heat from her scowl.

“I don’t want to hear what you have to say, Sting. Leave me alone,” she snapped and continued walking.

Before she could get far, Sting grabbed her wrist and turned her around.

“I’ll admit I came up here with different intentions, but now I’m wondering why the fuck you’re so pissed at me. We’re talking after your class. Meet me in the dining hall.”

Yukino tore from his grasp with a disgusted look on her face. He was walking away before she could curse him out. ‘ _What an_ ass _hole_!’ she thought as she stomped to her next class.

 

“So? What did I do that’s got you five seconds from tearing off my face?” Sting asked while eating chips.

Yukino sighed deeply. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s impolite.”

He rolled his eyes and swallowed, flashing a fake smile at her.

“Now do you _really_ want to know or are you trying to get me to sleep with you through some messed up scheme of yours,” she said, glaring.

Sting rubbed his temples and groaned. “Holy shit, just tell me why you’re mad.”

“You hurt my friends without a second thought in that dumb blond head of yours. Happy?”

“Hardly. Is that it?”

Yukino’s brows furrowed and her mouth dropped open. “Is that it?! You build girls up, take them to bed, break their hearts, then sleep with someone else and you’re saying, ‘is that it?’?!”

Several people were now looking at them. Sting slumped in his seat.

“Oh god now you’re yelling,” he mumbled.

“Well I wouldn’t be if you thought about _anyone_ but yourself!” Yukino’s hands were balled into shaking fists. “And you’re _still_ bringing around girls despite Rogue asking you not to!”

Sting sat up at the mention of his roommate. “Why does he care?”

“He doesn’t need any more exposure to your sex life! He already got up close and personal!” At that Yukino blushed and slapped her hand over her mouth.

Sting’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. “What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

Her blush got deeper as she struggled for a way off the topic. “N-nothing, forget I said anything. Look I need get going. I was supposed to meet Lucy at the library to—”

“Oh, no you don’t. Cut the shit, Yukino. What’re you trying to say?” Sting pushed.

She froze in her seat, slowly understanding why so few people stood up to him. His cold blue gaze rivaled that of a dragon.

“I’m talking about what happened at Lucy’s party,” she said, lowering her voice.

Sting gulped. ‘ _Does Rogue still think of that?_ ’ he thought while playing with his earring.

“Seriously? Nothing happened, we just—”

“Sting, we both know he told me. All I’m saying is to stop exposing him to that side of you.”

The faintest blush colored Sting’s cheeks, but he quickly shook it off. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop bringing girls over.”


	5. He's Not That Bad, I Guess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. It needed heavy editing and the original full chapter five was long as fuck, so I decided to split it up. Anyway enjoy lmao I'm still not sure how long this fic will be.

Rogue dropped his backpack to the floor after taking out a black notebook and pen. He knew they were still early in the semester but doodling during lectures helped him retain information. The professor was still taking roll and making jokes about never being able to remember names. A few students humored her, others fiddled with their textbooks or sighed. She was about to start the class when the door opened and quickly shut.

“Yo, sorry, Professor. Got caught up in the snow,” a voice said from the back.

The professor feigned a smile and went back to her desk to update the attendance sheet. “Ah, so you must be Mr. Eucliffe. I’m glad you could join us.”

Rogue turned around to see his roommate heading straight for him. Sting plopped in the seat to his right and quickly took off his coat. Despite the weather, he was still wearing a cropped sweater. Rogue rolled his eyes. ‘ _Does he always need to show off his abs,_ ’ he thought.

“What’s up, roomie?” Sting whispered while the professor addressed the class.

Rogue glanced at his exposed stomach and his pink cheeks. “Aren’t you cold?”

He stopped rubbing his hands together and sat back with his arms behind his head. Rogue looked up to see a girl watching Sting’s sweater slowly rise.

“Nah, I’m comfortable. Anyway, didn’t think I’d see ya in a class like this.”

Rogue shrugged and opened his notebook when he saw the professor turn on the projector.

“I know you wouldn’t believe it, but us writing majors _do_ need to know how to,” and he looked down at the syllabus to read off the course objectives paragraph, verbatim, “‘find, interpret, and critically evaluate first-hand accounts and scholarly resources.’”

Sting snorted, earning him a glare from the professor. He quickly clamped his mouth shut, but Rogue’s giggle made him shove his face in his sleeve and laugh even harder.

“Is there something you’d like to share with us, Mr. Eucliffe?” the professor asked coldly. Sting sat up straight and cleared his throat.

“We are just so excited for this class,” he said, gesturing to Rogue.

At that the usually silent boy lost it. He burst into laughter and held a hand over his mouth. Sting sat there calmly, a smile occasionally threatening to break his composure.

“Well I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Mr. Cheney. Now if you could please recite what I was just telling the class.”

Rogue coughed and brushed his hair from his face, folding his hands on the desk.

“You asked us read through paragraph five and jot down what first-hand resources the author mentions,” Rogue said respectfully without missing a beat.

The professor looked skeptical, but eventually nodded with a smile. “That’s correct. Thank you.”

Sting gave him a fist bump under the table.

 

“It’s gonna be weird havin’ a class with you.”

“Right back atcha,” Rogue said with finger guns.

Sting half-smiled and gestured to the dining hall. “C’mon, let’s grab somethin’ to eat. Do you have classes after this?”

“Yeah, only one. You?”

“Nah, that was my third for the day. I’m done now. After this I’m hittin’ the gym with the guys.”

Rogue shot him a confused look. “Dude it’s fifteen degrees outside, _why_.”

“Gotta keep this body lookin’ fine,” Sting smirked, using only his index finger to lift his cropped sweater up to his pecs.

Rogue quickly looked away and groaned. Whispers filled the halls around them as his roommate continued to strut.

“Oh my god—do you ever get sick of doing that?”

"Nah."

* * *

 

“Alright, class. For the next assignment, you will be working in pairs. You can either choose your partners, or I’ll choose for you.”

Students murmured and searched the room. Before Rogue could look up from his notebook, he felt Sting’s arm loop around his neck.

“Well we’re all set,” Sting announced.

Rogue’s face flushed from being the center of attention. He glared at his roommate and pulled away.

“My expectations are high for you two.”

“No sweat, Prof. We gotchu,” Sting said, leaning back in his chair.

The professor raised her eyebrow. Rogue nudged him in the ribs, making him lurch forward with the front two chair legs slamming on the ground.

“What he meant to say is that we won’t let you down, Professor,” Rogue interpreted.

           

“So, when do you want to start on this?” Rogue asked as they entered the dining hall.

String shrugged and slung his backpack down at the first open table he saw. “I dunno, man. It’s not due for a week.”

Rogue sat down and pulled out his planner. Sting glanced at the highlighted classes, notes in the margins, and several shades of ink.

“Yes, but the sooner we get it done, the better,” he said, writing down the due date.

Sting groaned then walked away to get food. Rogue held his pen to his mouth as he planned available times to finish the assignment. He looked up to see Yukino walking towards the table.

“Hi, Rogue,” she said while setting down her plate of food.

He smiled back and put away the planner. “Hey. I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Yukino pouted. “That’s because you haven’t. What have you been up to?”

“Uh, nothing, really. Just classes.”

Sting got back right as he finished his sentence. He waved to Yukino and sat down next to Rogue.

“Also hanging out with this nerd.”

“I figured as much,” she said, eyes locked with Sting.

He returned the gaze. “How’ve you been, Yukino?” he asked after a bite of pasta.

“Busy, but well. I’ve seen Lucy more since you’ve kept Rogue to yourself.”

Sting shrugged with a smirk. “We have a class together now.”

Rogue narrowed his eyes. ‘ _Since when are they so chummy,'_  he thought as Yukino laughed at something Sting said.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

He snapped out of his head and looked at the empty table in front of him. “Oh. Uh.”

“Lemme just grab you some of this,” Sting said pointing to his plate.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Rogue leaned in close to Yukino.

“What the hell is going on?”

She looked up from her salad, confusion twisting her dainty features. “It’s no crime to be friendly, you know.”

"Be that as it may, last I knew you despised him. I swear to god if he—”

“Relax! Nothing like that happened, I promise,” Yukino cut him off, blushing furiously.

Sting returned with a plate of pasta for Rogue but paused when he saw Yukino’s red face and Rogue’s skeptical one. They glanced at him, each other, then quickly readjusted.

“Uh?”

Rogue nodded as he took the plate and started eating as if nothing happened. Yukino quickly finished her meal then stood up and gathered her belongings.

“I have a class in ten minutes, but the three of us should hangout soon. See you guys.”

Rogue waved with a smile, Sting waved looking confused.

“The hell was that about?”

His roommate shook his head and dismissed the question with a gesture of his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

Sting returned from the gym starving and covered in sweat. Natsu and Gajeel convinced him to lift more than he usually did, and he could already feel it in his aching arms. When he opened the apartment door the scent of spices hit him. He dropped his bag in front of the closet and stripped off his coat and shirt.

“Did you seriously only wear a coat over that,” Rogue asked from the kitchen.

Sting made a ‘what else would I do’ face at him.

“You’re going to get frostbite, I swear.”

“I’ll live. Whatcha makin’?” he asked as he walked towards him.

“Chili! It’s my mom’s recipe.”

“Do you really need to wear the apron?”

“Yes, because I’m the cook,” Rogue sassed with a hand on his hip.

Sting snickered and ruffled his hair. His roommate swatted his hand with a wooden spoon and glared.

“I can’t see if you do that!”

“Tie your hair back, then. It’s getting longer,” Sting pointed out.

“Oh, is it noticeable? Should I cut—”

 “No no, it looks good!” he said earnestly.

“Anyway,” Rogue started with a smile, twirling a strand of hair, “want to eat then work on the project for a bit?”

Sting groaned and glanced at the clock on their microwave. “Yeah, why not.”

* * *

 “I can’t believe we got the highest grade in class,” Rogue said through laughter.

Sting smiled and shrugged. “Dude I’m not. We’re a fuckin’ power team.” He poured another drink and took a long gulp. “Between your thorough research and my ability to charm, we’re unstoppable.”

Rogue nudged him in the ribs. “Hey I was charming, too. I had all those jokes.”

Sting snorted at the memory. “Alright alright. My point still stands.”

Their class, though tedious at times, brought them closer together than they’d ever been before. Rogue no longer dreaded when Sting came home, instead he looked forward to winding down together with Netflix on. Tonight, though, they opted for Rogue’s Spotify on shuffle and bottom shelf liquor. Right when he was about to speak, “Super Freak” came on. Sting shot up from his seat and began shuffling around the living room.

“SHE’S A VERY KINKY GIIIRRLLL,” he semi-shouted. “THE KIND YOU DON’T HOME TO MOTHAAA.”

Rogue got up and danced beside his roommate, occasionally grabbing his hips so they could move in rhythm. Sting was off-key by several octaves but nailed every lyric, seemingly unfazed by the strong hands guiding his lower half.

“THAT GIRL IS PRETTY KIINKYY.”

“THAT GIRL’S A SUPER FREAK,” Rogue shouted, covering all the backup vocals.

Sting was now missing lyrics from doubling over, desperately trying to breathe again.

“SHE’S A SUPER FREAK, SUPER FREAK, SHE’S SUPER FREAKAYYY,” they shouted together and fell in hysterics. Rogue landed panting on Sting’s lap, and Sting rested his head against his back. The lingering buzz of his fingertips pressing into his skin made Sting’s heartbeat erratic.

 

Rogue’s eyes shot open when he heard banging on the front door. He sat up, but immediately felt a pounding headache and went back down. The sudden movement made his already nauseous stomach lurch.

“Son of a bitch,” he groaned as he forced himself up and stumbled to the front door.

Sting came out of his room and watched as his roommate lost balance, swore, then sat on the couch. ‘ _Poor fucker has a hangover,_ ’ he thought while answering the door in his place.

“What the fuck, you’re not ready?” Minerva groaned. “We were supposed to leave half an hour ago. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you since 7.”

Sting checked his phone and scrolled through several missed calls and texts.

“Ahh damnit…sorry, we got carried away last night.”

“I don’t care what you did, just get your shit together and let’s go.”

“Yeah about that…” he started, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Jesus Christ, Sting. We’ll give you another twenty minutes but that’s it. Meet us in the parking lot when you’re done,” she demanded then stormed off.

Sting closed the door and leaned his head against it, letting out a long sigh.

“Yo, uh, we gotta get ready for the beach trip,” he announced to Rogue, who only groaned in response. “C’mon, dude. Minerva is ticked.”

“Well tell her to fuck off. I feel like shit,” Rogue shot back.

Sting winced. “Oh boy. Guess I’m taking care of you today.” He pulled out his phone to text Minerva the new plans. She’d find one fucked way or another to get back at him for messing up her carefully crafted schedule, but right now Rogue was his priority.

“Alright I’m gonna get you some ibuprofen and water. Also dry toast.”

Rogue groaned again and continued rubbing his temples. This miserable, vomit-inducing feeling was exactly why he never cared for drinking. It was beyond him how Sting managed to convince him to celebrate that way instead of their usual old sitcoms and greasy food.

“Don’t take anything too quickly, you don’t wanna make yourself sicker,” he explained, setting out his supplies on the coffee table.

Rogue rolled his eyes and opened the ibuprofen bottle. “I got it.”

“I’m gonna pack for the trip, do you want me to—”

“No, Sting. I can do that myself. Jesus Christ I’m not helpless.”

“Right…” Sting nodded and went to his room. If Rogue was anyone else, he would’ve smacked his mouth without a second thought. For someone who rarely considered others, few things pissed Sting off more than being disrespected. He took a few deep breaths and stretched out his arms, hoping to calm down at least a little bit. Sting didn’t want to think about why he was getting soft on Rogue, or how hot it was when he grabbed his hips last night.

After haphazardly packing Sting zipped his luggage shut and carried it out to the living room. Rogue was asleep, so he quietly made himself coffee and a bagel.

 

Rogue woke up several hours later to the sound of typing and soft music. Sting looked over as his roommate rubbed his eyes and slowly sat forward.

“Mornin’, sleepyhead,” he said quietly.

Rogue frowned and drank from the glass of water left on the table for him. His stomach growled, much better from the queasiness earlier, so he took small bites from the old toast.

“Hey uh…sorry about last night, man. I didn’t mean to push you or anything."

Rogue sighed and put down the toast. “I said I feel like shit, not that I didn’t have fun, you jackass.”

Sting smiled weakly.

“Why aren’t you like this, though?”

“Takes more than that to get more hungover nowadays,” he shrugged.

Rogue rolled his eyes and stood up slowly, testing how much better he felt. “Since I don’t feel like dying anymore, I’m going to get the packing over with. When are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning. Probably ‘round 7:30.”

Rogue nodded then went to his room. Sting watched him walk away then jumped when his phone buzzed. He opened the text from Minerva and immediately groaned upon reading it.

* * *

 Rogue stepped out of the car and stretched while Sting grabbed their suitcases from the trunk. He eyed his roommate, then the tiny split-level beach house they rented for the week. ‘ _There’s gonna_ how _many of us bastards in this sad shack?_ ’

“Yo gimme a hand with these. Don’t just stand there,” his roommate shouted from the back of the car.

Rogue knitted his eyebrows together. “Dude I know you’re strong enough to carry both.”

“Okay yeah but I’m lazy.”

Rogue let out a small laugh, grabbed his luggage, and walked to the front door. Minerva opened before he could knock and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Feeling better from your little hangover?”

Rogue sneered at her. “Piss off. Where are we sleeping?”

She smirked and motioned the pair to follow her. To Rogue’s surprise, Minerva lead them down the stairs to only one room in the basement, and his expression dropped when she opened the door revealing a single full sized bed inside.

“Is this a fucking joke?” he asked, leaning his suitcase against the wall.

Sting let out a long sigh behind him while she shook her head.

“Nope! Since you two arrived late, we got first pick. I’m sure you’ll be just fine,” Minerva smiled mischievously then walked away.

Rogue turned to Sting, who was rubbing the back of his neck and averting his eyes.

“Wait. Did…did you know about this?!”

Sting shrugged. “I knew you were gonna get mad either way. Get your ass inside so we can unpack. I wanna hit up the beach before it gets dark.”

Rogue let out an exaggerated sigh and pulled his suitcase into the room.

“Which side of the bed do you want?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nah dude. I ain’t sleepin’ on the floor, and I’m not mean enough to make you do it. Which side?”

Rogue pinched his brows and threw his hands in the air. “I don’t give a shit. I don’t.”

Sting laughed then headed to the bathroom to change. Rogue shut the door and locked it before pulling his shirt over his head. He couldn’t believe he was going to be sleeping with Sting for a week. The last time they were in a bed together was…Rogue shook his head, not wanting to finish his thought. His physical attraction to Sting hasn’t faded at all, as evidence of his now heated cheeks. The emotional attraction, though, was much more ambiguous. They’ve been inseparable for months, but Rogue couldn’t nurse his bruised ego enough to forget the hurt of Sting moving on immediately. He groaned and reached for his bathing suit, jumping when he heard the door knob shake.

“Fuck…hold on!” he shouted while quickly changing.

Sting whined from the other side. “Hurry up! And grab my towel, please?”

Rogue could hear the puppy-eyed gaze in his roommate’s voice. He unlocked the door and tossed the requested item at Sting’s head, who stuck his tongue out in response.

Rufus, Orga, and Minerva already had a spot set up when they arrived at the beach. Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel were playing frisbee in the water, while Juvia, Lucy, and Levy were laid out on towels. Freed was nearby reading beneath an umbrella, and Cana was sitting on top of a cooler, beer in hand, beside him.

“Yo they got a frisbee!” Sting exclaimed.

Rogue shook his head and smiled as he struggled to get sunscreen on his back.

“Before you leap into action, give me a hand with this?” he asked and extended the bottle of sunscreen to his roommate.

Sting took it, squeezing some onto his palm. “You’re such a dork,” he teased.

Rogue arched his back when the cool cream contacted his skin, making Sting giggle.

“Shut up! I burn easily.”

Sting rubbed the excess into his arms and chest. “Now you get mine.”

Freed peered over his book and raised an eyebrow as he watched the boys finish up and sprint to the water. Cana downed her beer, tossed the can into her backpack, and grabbed another from the cooler.

“Whatchu lookin’ at?”

Freed looked at her then Sting and Rogue. “Those two have gotten pretty close recently,” he pointed out.

She squinted then took a long gulp from her can. “Probably since they live together?”

“I guess. Also drink some damn water. You’re going to dehydrate.” But Freed was still skeptical. After deciphering several rumors from Lucy’s party, he figured out what happened during the fifteen minutes the guest bedroom door was locked. From his “research” few others knew Sting initiated it, and fewer still knew that he wanted more. Of course, this was mostly speculation from observing the two from a distance, but Freed couldn’t shake the feeling that something was growing between them.

A large wave crashed over Natsu’s back, knocking the frisbee from his hand. Sting leapt forward and grabbed it before colliding into Rogue and falling in the water. His mouth was open as he fell, letting in a cocktail of fish poop and salt.

“Son of a bitch!” Rogue sputtered.

Sting helped him up, stifling laughter. “Sorry, dude. I didn’t mean—”

Rogue cut him off abruptly by wrapping his arms around his waist and tackling him back into the water. Gajeel and Gray exchanged a knowing glance.

The two were now known as the Twin Dragons of Fiore because one was never too far from the other and their rancid attitudes. Most of campus shrugged off Sting’s constant touching or mentioning of Rogue as a testament to their closeness, but Gray was growing suspicious. Whenever Sting was asked about he and Rogue’s relationship he played with his earring and changed the subject quickly as possible.

 

Orga opened the curtains and sighed. Rain was coming down in torrents, and the forecast showed no sign of it letting up for the rest of the day.

“Goddamnit, now what?” he said as he turned away from the window.

Rufus shrugged and continued typing on his laptop. “Not sure. Looks like our only other option is to hit up some of the bars on the boardwalk.”

Orga groaned and flopped onto the couch next to Sting.

“I’m sure every other college fuck staying here is thinkin’ the same thing,” Sting pointed out, looking over at Rufus. “When’s Minerva getting back?”

“Dunno. She said she was goin’ out with the girls for a bit,” Orga reminded him.

Sting chewed on his lip, then snapped his fingers and stood up. “Yo, Rogue!” he shouted down the stairs.

“What!”

“Orga n’ I are gonna grab some liquor for a party tonight, need anything?”

“No. Don’t get caught, dumbass,” Rogue warned as he came up to them in the living room.

Sting flipped him off and grabbed his keys. “Relax. We both have fakes. Let’s go, Orga.”

“Idiot,” Rogue muttered as he sat on the couch across from Rufus. He was still buried in his laptop, not bothering to look up at him. They sat there in silence for several minutes until Rufus finally spoke up.

“So, are you enjoying yourself here?”

The tone of his voice made Rogue wary. It almost sounded like he was insinuating something.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty relaxing. I mean, as much it can be while sharing a bed with that guy,” he said, gesturing out the window.

The typing stopped. Rufus slowly sat back and folded his arms.

“Have you guys, uh…”

Rogue leaned forward. “Have we what?”

“Well I mean, you know, you’re sleeping together and all. I mean, you’re sleeping in the same bed. Doesn’t that you make you…”

“Make me what? What are you trying to say?”

Rufus blushed and played with his long hair. A weird fluttering started in Rogue’s stomach. Rufus was…really fucking cute. The flustered boy opened his mouth but quickly shut it when they heard someone at the door. Rogue locked eyes with Rufus, making his blush even deeper and Rogue’s heart beat harder.

‘ _Why have I never noticed him before?_ ’ he wondered.

“I’m back, boys!” Minerva shouted as she walked into the house. Rogue sighed and continued texting Yukino. “What were you two doing?” she asked, eyes glued to Rufus’ still flushed face.

“N-nothing! Goddamnit,” Rufus stammered then stormed off to his room.

Minerva’s gaze settled on Rogue.

“Yes?” he asked, clearly irritated by her interruption.

“No need to be so hostile, Rogue.” He only glared in response. “I bought some Pocky for the party tonight. I hope you’re ready.”


	6. "Bromance"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNINGS:  
> -minor non-consensual touching in memories (nothing explicitly graphic but please be aware)  
> -mild gore descriptions from horror movie  
> -heavy emotional scene dealing with repressed sexuality
> 
> Hello all! Please heed the warnings before jumping into this chapter. It was difficult to write, so I'm sure it'll also be difficult for some to read. Take care of yourselves, and thank you so much for being invested in my writing!

Sting chugged another can then tossed it at a trash bag on the floor. Gray and Natsu patted him on the back, all three watching as Orga struggled to finish his.

“Ha! I fuckin’ beat you!”

“Shut it, Eucliffe,” he spat, wiping beer from his mouth.

Minerva sashayed over with a martini in hand. “Don’t pass out yet, Orga. We still have some games to play.”

Rogue glanced over at her, unease settling in his stomach. ‘ _What’s that bitch planning now,_ ’ he thought as he sipped on a mixed drink. His mind was still reeling from his brief interaction with Rufus earlier, and now he was nowhere to be found. Rogue wanted to talk to him and squeeze out what he was trying to say. He wanted to…kiss him.

“Yo, Rogue!”

“What, Sting?”

“C’mere!”

Rogue rolled his eyes and walked over to his roommate, who was holding a can of beer and bottle opener. “What are you—”

Sting cut him off by puncturing the can then holding the spraying opening to his mouth. Rogue choked, coughed, and rapidly swallowed before he could get more soaked. His head started to feel lighter, and that familiar warm feeling spread through his body.

“You fuckin’ jackass,” he said, pushing away the can and wiping his mouth.

Sting giggled and shot-gunned a can himself. Rufus watched them closely from a far corner in the house. Something about the frothing liquid spilling down Rogue’s lips turned him on much more than he had business being turned on in that kind of setting.

“Alright, everyone, gather round,” Minerva shouted above the music. Once the small party collected in front of her, she pulled a cloth off the table, revealing several boxes of Pocky.

Suspicion began to rise in Rogue’s chest. He scanned the room and finally found Rufus, his heart skipping a beat when Rufus looked up and gave him a shy smile. ‘ _Fuck,_ ’ Rogue thought as he smiled back.

“We’re finally all drunk enough to start. So, I’ll pick the pair, and you know the rest,” she announced. “Levy with Orga, Gajeel with Gray, Cana with me, Natsu with Juvia, Sting with Rufus, Lucy with Laxus, and Rogue with Freed.” Everyone exchanged horrified glances, except for Rufus, who was blushing furiously. Minerva opened the first box and passed a stick to each pair.

“Go!” she said with a piece of Pocky between her teeth.

Tension filled the air as everyone started at opposite ends. The unofficial couples exposed themselves by nervously looking at one another, making Minerva let out a low laugh. Levy was one bite in before she pulled away, covering her face. Juvia refused to put the Pocky in her mouth and turned from Natsu with her arms crossed. Gajeel and Gray were forehead to forehead, pushing against each other with scowls on their faces.

Rufus stayed still as Sting slowly moved closer. His eyes were half-lidded, making Rufus’ heartbeat skyrocket.

Freed pouted at his end as Rogue sat there, paralyzed by the churning in his stomach. He took in several bites, leaving three inches of space between his lips and Rogue’s. The frozen boy swallowed hard, and took a bite. Freed was much prettier from this distance, it was unnerving. ‘ _What is this, my fucking gay awakening?_ ’ Rogue thought.

Sting locked eyes with Rufus as he finished the Pocky. Rogue glanced over at them and left the remaining treat in Freed’s mouth as he leaned back to watch Sting.

“I win,” the flirtatious boy growled against Rufus’ lips. Sting laughed deep from his stomach as Rufus scrambled away from him.

“Stop!” Minerva shouted, her dark lipstick smeared.

Natsu pulled Lucy away from Laxus, who shrugged and grabbed a beer. Juvia broke the stick between Gajeel and Gray, then flicked them both on the head.

“Now, we’ll play a little differently. You guys choose who you want to go against,” Minerva said as she opened a second box.

No one moved, except for Sting who sat in front of Rogue. He was buzzed enough to be more brazen with his flirting, knowing he could play it off on the drinks if questioned later. Despite his confidence, Sting’s heart hammered in his throat. Part of him thought about just tossing the treat away and just shoving his tongue in Rogue’s mouth.

“Well since you all are statues now, we’ll just watch these two,” she said, handing a piece to Sting.

Rogue blushed, hating the attention. He’d half hoped everyone paired themselves up so he had an excuse to find Rufus. Somehow, before this shitshow ended, he was going to corner that pretty twink and get his number.

Sting held the Pocky between his index and middle finger, slowly putting it in his mouth. Rogue flicked his hair from his face and cocked his head back, taking the other end. For a brief moment he saw submission in Sting’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by challenging dominance.

“Go!” They both immediately took a bite and went for another. Rufus gasped from back of the crowd as the pair gradually got closer. Only an inch of space separated them. Rogue fought back laughter as Sting feigned an intimidating expression. But behind the playfulness was hunger. Rogue recognized the expression from when Sting kneeled over him and rubbed circles into his thighs. He swallowed hard. Suddenly he remembered why he freaked out for weeks after they kissed. Sting was magnetic.

Before either boy could move, Minerva shoved their faces together.

“What the fuck!” Rogue shouted as he quickly pulled away and fell backwards.

Sting covered his mouth as his eyes widened. They glared at Minerva, who was laughing maniacally.

 

“I can’t believe that wench,” Rogue grumbled as he folded his clothes and put them in his suitcase.

Sting raised an eyebrow. “You’re still ticked about that?”

“Yes I’m ‘still ticked’ about it! That was in front of everyone! You know how I hate being the center of attention,” he said, zipping the luggage shut and flopping onto the bed.

“What if it wasn’t?” Sting asked, looking at the hands covering Rogue’s face.

“What?”  Rogue moved his hands and leaned on his elbows.

“I said what if it wasn’t in front of everyone.”

Rogue was caught off guard. Was Sting flirting with him? Was he fucking with him? He looked over at his roommate, and to his surprise Sting’s eyes were locked on him. His gaze, though intense, was sincere.

“Shut the fuck up, dude.”

Sting faked a laugh and leaned back against the pillows. He hoped that being blunt was going to get Rogue to kiss him again. Even though the touch was gone as soon as it happened during the Pocky game, he felt same electricity he did that first time. Sting wondered if Rogue felt it, too.

“Also move over, you’re on my side.”

“No, I was here first,” he pouted.

“Fine.” Rogue curled close to the edge.

Sting looked at him and sighed, pulling him closer.  “Don’t be so goddamn stubborn.”

Rogue stuck his tongue out at him and yawned. “You’re the one who’s being stubborn.”

Sting mocked him, earning a punch on the arm. He laughed and hit Rogue’s stomach with a pillow. Rogue shot up, pulled the pillow from beneath Sting and smacked him in the face with it.

“Oh, now it’s _on_ ,” he growled.

The two continued beating on each other, then moved to opposite sides of the room while throwing pillows. Rogue’s face was red from laughter and Sting could hardly stand.

“Fucking keep it down!” Minerva shouted from her room.

They laughed even harder and fell onto the bed, leaning against each other. Rogue caught his breath and nestled against Sting’s shoulder, who was still giggling like an idiot.

“If you don’t stop I’ll fucking tickle you,” he threatened.

Sting snorted and shot him a bewildered look. “That would literally solve nothing, the hell are you talking about?”

Rogue shushed him by holding a finger to his lips. “It’s sleepy time.”

A giddy rush filled Sting’s chest immediately. Rogue’s groggy voice was unbearably adorable, all raspy and low. His normal voice was cute too, if you liked monotonous brooding, which apparently Sting did. He watched him for a moment, nuzzled against his shoulder with his lips slightly parted. ‘ _Kiss him, you jackass,_ ’ he thought, but the slow rise and fall of Rogue’s chest lulled him into a stupor.

“Don’t fall asleep on me, dummy,” he warned, but Rogue’s breathing had already changed. Sting groaned and flicked off the lamp on the night stand, careful not to disturb his roommate.

* * *

 “I wish we were back at the beach,” Natsu sighed while mindlessly stirred his soup.

Gray looked at him incredulously and took another bite from his sandwich. “Dude we only have three weeks left before summer. You’ll be fine.”

“Longest three weeks of the semester if you ask me,” Sting added. He leaned back in his chair and smirked. “I can’t wait to get out and do whatever I want.”

“You mean _who_ ever you want?” Gajeel jeered.

Sting shot him a look. “No, dickhead. I stopped that.”

“What, are you scared of Yukino kicking your ass?”

“Yes, actually.”

“As you should be,” Rogue muttered.

“Speaking of Yukino and getting laid…” Gajeel trailed off.

“What?” The guys all looked at him expectantly, confusing him and irritating him further. “ _What_?” he repeated.

“They mean have you and her ever…” and Sting made a vulgar gesture while raising his eyebrows.

Rogue’s eyes widened. “No,” he said adamantly to Sting, then turned to the others. “ _No_. Jesus Christ what is wrong with you people? She’s my best friend.”

“Those can come with benefits,” Gray pointed out.

 “Fuck off, Fullbuster. I’ve never viewed her that way.”

“Have you viewed anyone that way?” Gajeel asked.

Rogue hesitated. Just last night he got himself off to crossdressing porn again. Seeing Rufus in between classes never failed to make his heart pound, and he shuddered every time he thought of Freed pouting at the other end of the Pocky weeks ago. But something told him that when Gajeel said ‘anyone’ he only meant women, so he lied.

“No.”

The guys gasped in unison. Rogue rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath, while Sting played with his earring.

“So, you’ve never…” Natsu started.

“ _No_!” Rogue shouted, covering his now red face with both hands.

“Well I can change that.”

“What!?” all four shouted in unison.

“No, not like that, you shitwits! I mean I can set you up with someone so you can experiment,” Sting offered.

Rogue groaned. “That’s so fucking shallow. And kind of creepy. Isn’t the first time supposed to be special?”

The guys shook their heads and Sting choked back a laugh.

“Nah, that’s just a lie that adults tell ya so you don’t go runnin’ around fuckin’ everything,” he said as he patted his roommate’s back. “Sex is just sex. C’mon, man.”

“It’s pretty fun, not gonna lie,” Natsu said with his arms behind his head.

“I don’t think you guys get it…”

“Being nervous? Sure we do.”

“No, no I mean…I don’t think you’ll find my type.” That was the best he could do without outing himself. Of course Rogue wanted to fuck, what horny 20-year-old didn’t want to be plowed, or be the plower? His hands never could do enough for him, but damned if he would admit that in the presence of the pricks surrounding him.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ve got someone in mind,” Sting said, still toying with his earring.

Horror washed over Rogue. Had Sting caught him staring at Rufus whenever he passed by? Did he notice the way he smiled if Freed was brought up for being the prettiest boy on campus? The humiliation of being glaringly queer without restraint made his stomach backflip.

Rogue stood up abruptly and pulled his messenger bag onto his shoulder. “Okay, fine. I’ll get it over with.”

The guys cheered, drawing the attention of several nearby tables. They began clapping and whooping, which quickly spread through the dining hall. Rogue’s face turned dark red as he flipped off his friends and left.

 

“Sting what the FUCK,” Rogue shouted at his roommate. “Why _her_?!”

“Hey, you said you wanted to get it over with. This chick knows what she’s doing better than anyone I know, and she won’t tell a soul.”

“I can’t fucking stand her!” But that wasn’t the most upsetting part here. Despite not wanting to be out of the closet, he was still offended that Sting assumed he was even mildly bisexual.

“Hate-fucking can be a real blast,” Sting smirked.

Rogue glared at him.

“Take the goddamn condom already.”  
“Oh my god…I swear on my mom’s grave that I’ll kick your ass for this,” Rogue growled, snatching the rubber from his roommate.

Sting shrugged. “You say that now.”

“AND I’LL SAY IT AFTER.”

“Yo, volume. Save that for later. Anyway, I’m headin’ out. Not too keen on listenin’ to people getting it on,” Sting said with a wink as he shut the front door.

Rogue pinched the bridge of his nose and sat on the couch, tossing the condom on the table. He pulled out his phone and text Yukino. There had to be an easy way out of this that didn’t require him faking a quick orgasm. He wracked his brain for answers but only spiraled himself into a panic. Before he could muster the guts to call Sting and put an end to the situation, he heard a knock at the door.

“Goddamnit,” he muttered, feeling his heartbeat start to race. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Minerva was leaning against the frame, dressed casually.

“Hey you.” Her voice was low.

Rogue gulped. “H-hi, Minerva. Uh, come in?”

She smirked and brushed past him, intentionally running one hand along the top of his jeans. He flinched at the unexpected touch. ‘ _Jesus Christ it’s going to be a long night,_ ” he thought as he shut the door.

“So, I actually—” he started, but Minerva dragged him by the wrist to the bedroom hallway before he could finish. Anxiety immediately seized his chest and felt like he couldn’t breathe. He thought back to high school when one of the goth girls shoved him against a locker and kissed him because he was ‘irresistible.’ He thought back to middle school when his best friend felt him up in the kitchen after she hadn’t seen him for a few months and he’d ‘grown so much.’ He thought of his male acquaintances brushing off his concerns because guys were supposed to enjoy that sort of stuff. Before Minerva reached the door, Rogue ripped away from her grasp.

“Minerva listen,” he demanded.

“Is there a problem?”

“I don’t want this. At all.” He hated the way she was looking at him right now, the way so many girls before her did. Anger bubbled in the back of his throat when she let out a low chuckle and stepped closer to him.

“Rogue, honey, it’s okay to be nervous. We can start slower,” she offered.

“You aren’t listening to me.” He started shaking.

“Hm? If you don’t like how this is going, we can adjust. I’m just going along with what Sting said to—”

“You aren’t _listening_ to me, Minerva. I don’t _want_ this.”

She furrowed her brows, getting a little frustrated herself. “What? Why? I took time out of my weekend to come here for you and you’re going to pout like a child? You ungrateful—”

“I’M FUCKING GAY,” Rogue screamed, his voice cracking at the end. He never said it out loud before that moment. His whole body pulsed with fear, anger, anxiety, sadness, years of adolescence spent crying over not being ‘normal,’ his first best friend’s disdain once he found out, the betrayal he felt when Sting started fucking girls again not a month after they got their hands on each other—everything.

Minerva recoiled. Rogue’s exterior cracked, shattered, turned to dust, and died on the floor. The shape before her was hardly a person, he looked more like a black shadow folding into itself and unfurling at the edges. She never saw someone so unrestrained. Her own heart was pounding from the volume of his voice and sheer rawness of his energy.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“I don’t care what you fucking intended! But I am _sick_ and goddamn _tired_ of you queerbaiting Sting and I! My sexuality isn’t some gag for you and your friends to joke about! I’m NOT a fucking JOKE!”

At this point Rogue wasn’t even speaking to her anymore. He was addressing some unseen villain, some greater evil that embodied all his pain that happened to stand behind her. Once the adrenaline began to subside his long, shuddering breaths turned to short gasping ones. Minerva’s eyes were glossy as if she wanted to cry but couldn’t. It slowly dawned on him that his outburst caused the hurt in front of him. Because he couldn’t keep a cap on his emotions he tore through another person.

“I-I—fuck,” he whimpered, falling to his knees. Tears streamed down his burning cheeks faster than he could wipe them away. His chest was so tight he was convinced his ribs would snap through his skin at any moment. “I’m sorry.”

“No, Rogue, stop. You have nothing to be sorry for. I should be the one apologizing.” Minerva’s voice was strained, as if it took all her strength to speak to him. “Everything you said is…true.”

He looked at her, still struggling to breathe. Minerva put a tentative hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. Of all the people he thought of coming out to, he never fathomed it would be her. Yukino knew he liked guys, but he never told her those exact words. It was…a relief. Slowly the white-hot knot he wrapped all his hurt in and kept buried inside unraveled, strands frayed and faded away. He was gay, and it didn’t kill him to say it.

“Go get yourself cleaned up, I’m going to head out. And don’t worry, Sting doesn’t have to know about this.”

Rogue nodded and his eyes welled up again. Before Minerva could walk away, he pulled her into a tight hug, one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other holding the back of her head.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

 

Sting chewed on his thumb and anxiously bounced his legs. After he left his apartment, he went to Natsu’s for beers and video games, expecting his crew to keep his paranoid thoughts at bay. That worked for all of half an hour, after which the repetitive rounds of Street Fighter and Budweiser made his mind wonder.

Gray kicked him from beneath the table. “Dude, relax already. Rogue will be fine.”

Sting shot him a look and slumped back. “I know that, shitweed,” He glanced at the clock. ‘ _It’s been two hours since she went over…_ ’ he thought as he started gnawing on his lip.

“Then what the fuck are you freaking out over?”

“I…nothing.”

“Yo lay off him, Gray. He’s probably just excited for the details,” Gajeel said from the couch, pressing his shoulder against Natsu’s as they played Street Fighter.

Sting feigned a smile and nodded. He checked his phone again, frowning at the lack of messages. ‘ _Is she staying over? Are they done?_ ’ His mind raced as churning began in his stomach. Rogue was angrier than he was expecting him to be when he told him Minerva was coming over. He played it off at the time but the longer he thought about how frantic Rogue’s eyes looked the worse he felt.

“I think I’m gonna head back. I’m gettin’ pretty tired,” Sting said as he stretched.

Gray narrowed his eyes.

“C’mon man, don’t be that way. Just crash here. Ya don’t wanna walk in on them, y’know?” Natsu pointed out, pushing back against Gajeel.

“Hah, yeah, you’re right,” Sting faked a laugh and readjusted in his seat.

* * *

 Rogue pushed his hair behind his ears and wiped sweat from his forehead. ‘ _I think that’s the last one,_ ’ he thought as he taped shut another box. He walked to the kitchen for a glass of water as Sting came home, slinging his backpack to the floor.

“Yo dude.”

Rogue choked and waved.

“You good?”

“Y-yeah, you just surprised me is all. Why’re you home so early?” Rogue asked, setting down his glass and wiping his mouth.

Sting’s eyes lingered on his lips then quickly snapped up to meet his gaze. “I finished my final early,” Sting said, grabbing his roommate’s glass and taking a gulp.

Rogue pouted and snatched it back. “Get your own, bastard.”

Sting mocked him and got a glass from the cabinet.

“Anyway, I’ve already packed all my kitchen supplies, and we have half a pack of ramen left. Want pizza for dinner?”

His roommate stroked an imaginary beard and shrugged. “I guess I can squeeze that into my schedule,” he said with a wink.

Rogue glared. “If you have other plans then go for it, I can just get with Yukino—”

Sting held up his hands and shook his head aggressively. “No no no, I’m joking. I’d love to have pizza with ya,” he said with a smile. “But before we get settled I wanna pack a bit.” Sting ruffled Rogue’s hair, letting his fingers rest on the back of his head for a moment.

Rogue looked at him then darted his eyes away, swallowing hard. ‘ _Was he blushing or am I losing my fucking mind?_ ’ he thought as his roommate walked away.

Sting haphazardly folded his clothes and threw them into boxes. He ignored his buzzing phone, assuming it was old hookups trying to see him before they all left for the summer. Ever since he set up Rogue with Minerva his appetite for sex died down. Neither of them spoke about that night, and every time he thought about getting with someone he found himself distracted by what happened between them instead.

“Hey, I’m going to order now. What do you want?” his roommate said, leaning into his doorway.

“Uh, breadsticks and one large meat.”

Rogue raised his eyebrows. “Me too.”

“Shit—I meant meat pizza, you asshole.”

Rogue snickered then left the room.

Sting pulled cropped sweaters out of his closet until the content of Rogue’s comment hit him like a truck. This was their last night together until next semester started. The offer to hangout during the summer was extended, but nothing was set in stone yet. He swallowed hard, reeling from the implication. ‘ _Is he saying he wants to…no, stop, goddamnit._ ’ Not that Sting didn’t want the pouty boy beneath him again, in fact that’s probably what he wanted most right now, but he didn’t want to risk fucking things up. Instead, Sting decided to tease him mercilessly.

Rogue was on the phone in the kitchen, placing the order and playing with his hair. Sting smirked as he snuck up behind him then sharply squeezed his sides.

“Yes, we’ll take two laAHH—SON OF BITCH, STING,” Rogue yelped.

Sting fell on his ass in a fit of giggles, flinching as Rogue kicked him away. He crawled to the couch and waited for his roommate to hang up. Hearing his voice hit a whining pitch from just one touch only encouraged Sting to hear it again.

“I’m going to push you into traffic, you little—” but before he could finish, Sting pulled him onto his lap.

“You’re going to _what_?” Sting said, leaning close to Rogue’s face. If he wanted to, he could kiss him now, crash their lips together and hold their bodies close, but he hesitated.

Rogue’s heart leapt into his throat before he scrambled off him. “ _Push you into traffic, you obnoxious shitlord_.” Rogue glared at him from the corner of the couch. ‘ _The fuck has gotten into him?_ ’ he thought as Sting scooted closer. Something buzzed in the space between them, and it wasn’t either of their phones or fruit flies from the trash.

“What d’you wanna do?” he asked while lying on his back and looking up at him.

“We could watch horror movies of college kids getting killed?” Rogue offered. He needed something, anything, to distract himself from the static in the air.

“Well you’re fucking pleasant,” Sting pouted.

“You love it.”

Sting flattened his lips together to prevent them from curling into a shit-eating grin, but it was no use. His face flushed when Rogue glanced over at him, a smirk replacing his curious expression.

“Slasher it is, then.” Rogue flicked on the TV and logged into Netflix.

“Uugghh but I hate gore.”

“Shut up, you’ll be fine. Besides, if you get too scared you can squeeze me,” Rogue said in a childish tone.

“I’ll fuckin' strangle you if you keep that shit up,” Sting warned.

Rogue snorted and chose an indie title. He preferred cheaply made horror movies because they felt more like dark comedy to him, and right now he needed the laugh to ease the growing tension in his stomach. It’s been days since he had a chance to get himself off between studying for finals and packing to leave. Sting’s half-lidded eyes and playful energy was driving him up the fucking wall.

Thirty minutes in they heard a knock at the door, which made Sting jump. Rogue giggled when got up, earning him a punch in the thigh.

“Ouch, fuck off,” he hissed behind him while he opened the door. “Hey, sorry about that.”

“No worries. Twenty-two sixty-nine is your total,” the pizza girl said.

Rogue nodded and reached into his pockets, sighing when he pulled out nothing. “Sting, can you grab my wallet?”

His roommate let out an exaggerated groan and got up to do so. He reached over Rogue’s shoulder, handed the girl twenty-five dollars, then gave them both a thumbs-up. She looked at Rogue and raised an eyebrow.

“Please ignore him.” He nudged Sting in the ribs and took the pizza from her.

The girl shrugged, muttering something about them being a cute couple, and left. Rogue’s palms got sweaty. ‘ _Cute…couple?_ ’ He kicked the door shut and turned to glare at his roommate.

“Will you fucking _please_?!”

Sting raised his eyebrows and took the boxes. “Please what?”

“ _Stop acting like a jackass_.”

Rogue pressed play, ignoring his pouting roommate, and reached for a slice without looking when they sat down. He accidentally grabbed Sting’s hand, who was reaching for the same piece. They looked at each other, Sting waggling his eyebrows and Rogue glaring.

“Could you fuck off for two seconds?” Rogue said as he let go and took a different slice.

“If that’s what you’re into,” Sting shrugged and took a bite of his. “Wanna watch?”

Rogue choked. Adrenaline coursed through his body at the thought of watching Sting pant while he played with—‘ _STOP, stop goddamnit_ ’ he cursed himself and quickly crossed his legs. They fell silent when a college kid on screen was split in half with a shovel. Sting cringed. Rogue smiled, thankful for the disruption.

“If you don’t stop I’m going to do that to you.”

“You’re sick.”

They plowed through both pizzas and half the breadsticks, Sting worked slower than Rogue did because he kept turning away from the TV. Rogue leaned against the couch with both arms stretched along the top cushions, while Sting curled up in a corner. He covered his mouth and gagged when one kid’s intestines were used to stuff the mouth of another’s.

“Scrub,” Rogue teased.

“Boy I’ve ‘bout had it with ya mouth.”

“Oh yeah? And what’re you gonna do about it?”

At that Sting tackled his roommate, pinning him to the floor. The electricity from earlier was now tingling both of them. Rogue struggled against him, managing to support himself on one elbow as Sting firmly held his wrists. He leaned as close to his face as he could in that position and blew a puff of warm air on his lips. Sting immediately loosened his grip and pulled away, allowing Rogue to flip them. They looked at each other, hearts racing palms sweating eyes wide, then burst into laughter.

“That was a cheap move, you dick,” Sting said as Rogue giggled and conked their foreheads together.

He sat up halfway, trying to speak, but couldn’t catch his breath. Sting looked up at him as his face turned red from laughing so hard, his hands now covering his mouth. Rogue’s eyes were squeezed shut, and he was smiling so wide his nose crinkled. ‘ _Holy shit he’s cute,_ ’ Sting thought, swallowing hard as a butterflies burst in his stomach.


	7. Two-faced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW alright y'all I'm back, and I'm sorry for what I did in this chapter. Content warning for some graphic horny scenes, and future warning that it only gets worse (more horny) from here. I'm thinking this fic will end up being 10 chapters total, maybe more. I finally have the plot all hammered out, but I'm not sure how much more bullshit I'll add between now and the end lmao. Anyway!! Unlike the previous chapters, this was written THIS year so there is a huge difference in the writing quality, at least to me. So leave comments PLEASE, they really motivate me to keep going. And if you want to get in touch with me send me a DM on Twitter @twinkrelieffund! Enjoy ;)

“Relax, no one heard us.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m not, but if I get anxious, you’ll start panicking.”

“I don’t panic!”

Rogue shot Rufus a look. Every time he went over Rogue needed to account for at least half an hour of him muttering about being caught. They’ve been doing this since the start of the semester, carefully constructing times to meet that wouldn’t seem too suspicious to their peers. The thrill of keeping it a secret turned Rogue on at first, but after several weeks juggling homework, classes, friends, self-isolation to recharge, and seeing Rufus, he started to wish he had a partner who’d give him a less stressful orgasm. ‘I wonder what Freed’s up to…’ he wondered.

“Okay, okay. I know. It’s just weird to…do this with you.”

Rogue propped himself up with his elbow and furrowed his brows.

“Am I doing something wrong?”

“No, no not at all,” Rufus said, shaking his head. “You’re great. But—”

“But what?”

Rufus twirled a strand of his long hair between his fingers, the nails of which were digging into Rogue’s shoulders ten minutes ago. The sheets lay in a tangled mess at the edge of the bed where stray articles of clothing were gathered. Neither of them planned on doing things this way, sneaking in to each other’s rooms when their roommates were out getting shitfaced or in class. Rogue never even expected Rufus to say yes to getting coffee after their editing class back in August. But before he knew it one coffee turned into three, three turned into dinner, and dinner turned into Rufus riding him sloppily on the couch while Sting was at a party. It was just a matter of convenience, of uncertainty and hormones and experimentation.

“Is it the way we’re doing it? I can stop pulling your hair and calling you—”

“Stop, no, Jesus you know that’s not the issue here,” Rufus interrupted, blushing madly. “You just seem so distracted sometimes, Rogue. Who are you thinking of?”

Rogue swallowed hard. He suddenly felt very guilty for entertaining the thought of messaging Freed when he got home. “You, who else? How could I think of someone else when I’m in your—”

“That’s not true.” Rufus’ bottom lip trembled. “It’s him, isn’t it?”

“Him?” Rogue’s posture tensed. He knew he wasn’t always as fully present as he should be. He knew he should’ve let go of that night at the party sophomore year. And yet…

“Don’t play dumb. I know you only sleep with me to help you move on.”

Rogue winced at his words. A lump formed in his throat. The best he could do was pull Rufus towards him in a half-hearted hug.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Then when are you going to, Rogue? When are you going to come clean? Cowering in the closet has only harmed you and those you’ve fucked in secret.”

Rogue immediately stood up and started getting dressed. The lump had taken over his chest and replaced his heartbeat with a sinking thud. Despite his growing anger he knew Rufus was right.

“Wait, Rogue, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“I’ll see you in class Thursday.”

 

“You look like a fuckin’ mess,” Sting remarked as Rogue slammed shut their front door and kicked off his shoes.

“Says you,” Rogue shot back, eyeing the chocolate ice cream smeared around his lips. He thought of how it would taste to trace his tongue along the pink skin.

Sting squinted at him. The usual catty tone in Rogue’s voice was replaced by a gravelly annoyed one. He jumped down from the dining room table and flicked on the lights, staring at his roommate’s neck with wide eyes. “Holy shit—are those _hickies_?”

“No.”

“Who did that?”

“The railing I hit when I fell down the stairs.”

“Bullshit.”

“Obviously.”

Rogue poured himself a glass of water and chugged it. The walk from his dorm to Rufus’ was only five minutes, but he takes the long way to avoid being heckled, especially at night. He stopped to catch his breath, then kept drinking—partially because he needed it and partially because Sting walked towards him with his arms crossed.

“Your cheeks are flushed.”

“I’m a busy boy.”

“Busy? At 11:38 at night?”

“You sound like I did a year ago,” Rogue filled his glass one more time and shut the fridge.

Sting flattened his lips. Before he could come up with anything clever Rogue retreated to his room. ‘ _Since when is he…no, there’s no way he’d do that without telling me. Just spicy making out_ ,’ he thought as he tossed his dirty spoon in the sink and stored the ice cream in the freezer.

“But what if he really…” Sting trailed off. He turned on Netflix and scrolled mindlessly through re-runs. Rogue had gotten taller and more muscular since their freshmen year. Not only was he physically more appealing than the limp emo runt he once was, but he was a social comfort as well. People flocked to him on the rare occasions he turned up at parties, either for his level-headed opinions or his grounding energy. It wouldn’t be surprising if he actually did start sleeping around. Sting had no right to feel one way or another about it since their only sexual encounter was long ago in a drunken stupor. And yet…

* * *

 Rufus picked at his nails and bounced his legs at his unassigned seat in class. Rogue hadn’t responded to any of his messages since before he came over Monday night. It wasn’t unusual for him to drop away from everyone and do his own thing, but the argument they had left a sour taste in his mouth.

He was pushing his luck and he knew it. They never agreed on being exclusive, even though they hooked up nearly every week, so for all he knew Rogue was already burying himself in others. It hurt like hell to think about. Rufus tried to force away the thoughts and savor what time he did get with Rogue, but whenever Sting was mentioned, in passing or directly, he grew distant.

The professor pulled Rufus out of his head when he started class by asking everyone about notable recent events. A few students raised their hands, listed off what was happening locally, either on campus or in Fiore. Rufus dragged his notebook closer to him and jotted down some of what they mentioned. Their upcoming article focused on the University’s culture to boost campus involvement in clubs and charity events.

“Rufus? How about you? You’re the only one who hasn’t spoken yet.”

All eyes turned to the fidgeting boy. He felt his palms get sweaty.

“Well, I, uh…”

“Rufus and I have been researching library activity, Professor,” said a voice from the back.

Rufus whipped around in his seat to see Rogue walking towards him. Relief washed over his body, slowing down his heartbeat, until it sped up again because he knew he had to talk to him. Rufus clumsily flipped through the lined pages to his notes on what the busiest hours at the library were and nearly choked when he remembered that was the night Rogue fucked him bent over a desk in one of the study rooms.

He drowned in the memory as Rogue explained what they’d use the information for to the class. Thankfully the professor nodded and moved on to how to cite sources properly. Rufus outlined a new section in his notebook for the subject in an attempt to ignore the throbbing between his thighs. They both were hounded by their roommates after they got back from the library that night. Rufus’ legs were still shaking by the time he got back to his dorm, and Rogue’s hair was uncharacteristically sweaty for a late-night study session.

“Thanks for that earlier…” Rufus mumbled, brushing his long hair out of his face.

Rogue held a pen cap between his teeth as he finished writing down their next assignment in his planner. “What?”

Rufus shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t deserve to be forgiven for what he said to Rogue, and playing pleasantries wasn’t going to make the situation any easier. Instead of making an ass out of himself he stood up and pushed in his chair.

“Wait,” Rogue pleaded, grabbing his hand. “Come on, don’t be that way.”

“Aren’t you still angry?”

Rogue chewed his lip. It was true that his heart wasn’t fully invested in their secret hookups. Rufus served more of a confirmation of his own sexuality than anything else, but that never meant he was only a toy to him. He still enjoyed talking to him and watching movies together, even if it was a means to an end.

“There’s not much to be angry about. It’s not like—”

“This is anything real anyway?” Rufus butted in.

Rogue’s heart sank, but quickly skipped a beat when he looked up at his lover. A playful smile and drew up Rufus’ features. His eyes sparkled, the way they did after their first kiss.

“Yeah, something like that.” He slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and tugged on Rufus’ hand again. “Let’s go out, my treat.”

* * *

 Sting sat slumped over his desk with a textbook open. Several iterations of the same calculous equation were scrawled and crossed out in his wrinkled notebook. He knotted his fingers in his hair, looked back at the example problem highlighted in a yellow box, and threw his pen at his desk.

“Bullshit,” he muttered to himself. Sting never struggled in math, or any subject really, but he found himself in an unshakeable fog ever since he saw Rogue come home with his neck marked up. He even shocked himself when he declined Street Fighter and beers with his usual crew.

The sound of the front door opening broke his brooding. Sting immediately sat up and reached for his door knob but hesitated when he heard two voices. ‘ _Rogue never brings anyone over…unless it’s Yukino,_ ’ he thought. Sting pressed the home button on his phone and his stomach dropped. ‘ _No, it’s not her…she would’ve gone to bed over an hour ago_.’ Sting stood with his ear close to the door, slowing down his breathing so he could hear better.

“Are you sure he’s not home?”

“Sting’s never home on a Saturday night.”

“O-okay but let’s be quiet anywa—eep! God, Rogue, wait until we’re in your room!”

“No.”

Sting felt his body freeze. The clicking shut and lock of a bedroom door brought him back to reality, one he had no intention of staying in. Rogue was definitely home, and so was a gasping stranger he had with him. Muffled moans and the creaking of an extra-long twin sized mattress carried over to Sting’s burning ears. Unable to take what felt like a hot churning of guilt and shame any longer, he called Minerva and left the apartment.

“I can’t fuckin’ believe it,” Sting slurred, wine drunk off cheap rose Minerva offered as soon as he showed up. “Bringin’ home some squealy slut this late at night. I mean, can you fuckin’ believe it, Minerva? Can you? S’like, who the hell is this guy?”

Minerva’s usual smirk was contorted into an exhausted frown. She was in the middle of her skincare routine when her idiot called stammering and breathing hard. Sting was her closest friend at Fiore, she even considered him a brother sometimes, but moments like these gave her a migraine.

“Is this not just like what you did to him sophomore year?”

“What?”

“I said—”

“No, I heard what you said, damnit. What do you mean?”

“Sweetheart, you were bringing home a new girl on a near nightly basis. I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten revenge sooner.”

“That’s…” Sting swirled his wine in the glass and took another swig. He didn’t know why he was so upset, or at least he didn’t want to think about it too hard. His relationship with Rogue didn’t blur the lines enough to warrant justifiable jealousy, and they haven’t had a heart-racing moment in months, ever since Rogue started going out all the time. ‘ _Wait…_ ’ Sting thought.

“That’s different? Don’t bullshit, Sting.”

“Okay fine, you’re right, it’s the same, but I mean…with who?”

Minerva shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out.”

 

Rogue made Rufus leave an hour before the sun rose to avoid catching Sting in the apartment. He didn’t intend for him to sleep over, but dirty sex after a night of secret touching tired them out more than they bargained for. Rogue reclined on the couch with a steaming mug of coffee. He couldn’t sleep comfortably because of the raw scratch marks on his back, so he decided to get some reading done for class instead.

It was already noon when he finally heard Sting come home. His abrupt departure last night scared the horny out of he and Rufus both, but only for a moment.

“Hey, haven’t seen you in a minute,” Rogue joked.

Sting shot him a cold glare. “Where’s your friend?”

Rogue’s stomach dropped. “Oh, you uh…heard that, huh?”

“Kinda hard not to.”

“Sorry. I really didn’t think you were home. Otherwise we would’ve gone to his—”

“His?”

“Err, their place.” Rogue swallowed hard. He still hadn’t come out to Sting, or any of his friends for that matter. The relief he felt after blurting it to Minerva quickly faded when he woke up the next morning.

“Who is it?”

“Excuse me?” Sting looked away and played with his earring. He knew he shouldn’t ask, and more than that he knew he didn’t really want an answer. “I’m just…curious.”

“Look, Sting, you’re my friend, but that’s a little too personal.”

‘ _I grabbed your dick and saw you naked and this is too personal?!_ ’ Sting thought while biting his tongue. Instead of pushing his luck he nodded and walked away. Before Rogue could add anything else, he grabbed his gym bag from the closet and left.

 

Steam billowed around Sting in the shower stall. He hung his head and pressed his hands against the wall, letting the hot water poor over his back and turn his skin pink. The workout he just had left him shaky and panting, his burning muscles already protesting from being overexerted. He couldn’t remember the last time he pushed his body this hard.

“Sting? You in here?”

“Depends on who’s asking.”

“C’mere, ya bastard.”

Sting shut off the water and stepped out of the stall, quickly wrapping a towel around his waist. He shook his hair out and walked over to his locker. Natsu and Gray waited on the bench for him.

“The fuck do you want,” Sting muttered as he rummaged through his bag for clean clothes.

“Told you he’s got a stick up his ass,” Gray said, punching Natsu in the arm.

Natsu swatted back at him. “Why haven’t you been answerin’ anyone, dickhead?”

Sting pulled a loose cropped shirt over his head and slipped on briefs beneath his towel, letting it drop to the floor. “Don’t know what you’re talking ‘bout.” He could’ve sworn he brought his phone back from Minerva’s, but it wasn’t unlike him to forget it when he got drunk.

Gray narrowed his eyes. Sting wasn’t the type of guy to let shit bother him, not grades or girls or money. The only other time he’s seen him get ruffled like this was when Sting set up Rogue and Minerva for a one-night stand. ‘ _Wait a damn second…_ ’ Gray thought, his lips making a small o shape.

“Let’s go to the caf,” Gray interrupted, standing up abruptly.

The other two stared at him. Gray saw Rogue with someone heading that way before he and Natsu reached the gym, and he wanted to test a theory he had.

 

Gray sat down at a table that was at one of the far walls of the cafeteria, so they had a full view of the room. He hadn’t spotted Rogue just yet, but it was only about fifteen minutes since he last saw him. Sundays usually kept students in there for hours as they finished up homework or chatted with friends before classes started the next day.

Sting’s mood steadily evened out the more food he shoveled into his mouth. He hadn’t eaten since before he left for Minerva’s last night.

“So, what’s gotten into you, man? Really,” Natsu pressed.

Sting looked up from his plate. He looked from Natsu’s concerned face to Gray, whose gaze was intently focused over his shoulder. Without thinking he turned around and immediately felt his stomach flip. Rogue was smiling widely as he talked to someone with their back turned towards the trio.

“Who is that?” he asked through a half-chewed wad of food. Before either Natsu or Gray could answer Sting was standing and walking over to his roommate.

Rogue looked up right as Sting was within earshot and nearly jumped out of his skin. He whispered to Rufus to quickly walk away and to wait for him outside the caf entrance towards the back of the building.

“Yo roomie.”

“Hi, Sting. What uh…what are you doing here?” Rogue couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow caught.

“Eatin’, like everyone else. Looks like you weren’t, though. Who ya talkin’ to?”

“Just a classmate. No one you know.”

Sting nodded. “Gotcha. Anyway, I’m sorry ‘bout earlier. That was a little out of line for me. We good?”

But Rogue wasn’t listening. He craned his neck so he could get a better view of the second entrance, hoping that Rufus was actually waiting for him. “Yeah, sure.”

“Who’re you lookin’ for?” Sting was also looking in case he could get a glimpse of the long-haired stranger’s face.

“What? No one, don’t worry about it. I’ll catch you later.”

Sting stood there motionless as he watched Rogue leave. His body was telling him to throw up and run away while his mind was telling him to sit back down with Gray and Natsu. Humiliation overrided his senses regardless, so he slumped in front of his leftovers.

“Yikes,” Natsu broke the thick silence that hung over the table like fog. “You good, dude?”

Sting kept his gaze downcast. “Who was that?”

Gray rubbed the back of his neck. He had a good feeling of who the stranger might be, but he didn’t want to set Sting off. “I dunno, I feel like he’s in your year. Why does it matter, anway?”

“It doesn’t. I’m gonna go see Minerva to get my phone. Street Fighter and beers tonight?” Sting tried. He knew if he didn’t distract himself this feeling was going to eat him alive.

Gray smiled weakly. “Sure, dude.”

The two watched him walk away, his usual strut replaced by a hunched over shuffle.

“He looks love-sick,” Natsu observed, jutting out his lips.

“What!? Since when do you know shit like that?”

Natsu folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. “Well, you look like that when Juvia’s gone for a while, or when she gets hurt by your asshole-ish attitude towards her, OR when—”

“Alright that’s _enough_!”

* * *

 Horny R&B music played softly from a laptop on the corner of a desk, the other items once accompanying it now scattered on the floor. Rufus yelped when he was dropped on the cool surface from Rogue’s warm lap. His lover muttered something about being sorry and continued biting and sucking at his earlobes.

For weeks Rufus stayed too anxious about the cafeteria encounter to have Rogue over or go to his place. Despite the temptation to move on and fuck someone more available and less frantic, Rogue held off until Rufus felt comfortable seeing him again. It wasn’t so much that Rogue started to get complacent with him, rather, he felt his usual coldness towards people immediately soften when Rufus was around, but that the hassle of hiding his sex life from Sting was too much to handle. Ever since he came home with hickies Sting acted like a jealous lover whenever he was gone for too long or showed up late. ‘ _Wait a minute…_ ’ Rogue thought, pulling away from Rufus’ nape.

“Babe?” Rogue’s face snapped towards Rufus, eyes wide.

“Did you just…”

“Oh, god, fuck, I’m so sorry I didn’t…I wasn’t thinking, I—”

Rogue pinned his arms above his head and kissed him so hard he couldn’t breathe. Something about the one-syllable word sent his heart into a frenzy. “Say it again.”

“I…what?”

Rufus gasped as he felt one Rogue’s hands snake down his arm and gently pull his hair.

“I said say it again.” Rogue tightened his grip on Rufus’ wrists, moving the hand balled up in his hair to his nipples. He teasingly rubbed the pad of his thumb over the pink nubs until he was rewarded with a quiet whimper.

“Rogue, babe—”

“Oh my god,” Rogue moaned. He let go of Rufus’ wrists and dropped to his knees, hooking his fingers in his briefs and ripping them down. His erection sprung in front of his face and Rogue immediately took it in his mouth, savoring the slight salt of precum and nervous sweat. He stuck out his tongue and took in Rufus’ length until it hit the back of his throat then kept pushing himself down, swallowing multiple times over the cock.

“Fuck, Rogue,” Rufus shuddered. His quivering thighs began to clamp over Rogue’s shoulders. He let his head roll back as Rogue pumped his cock in rhythm with his wet mouth, the sensation bringing him closer to climax.

“Turn around.”

“Huh?”

“I want to taste you.”

Rufus immediately laid on his stomach, wincing at the cold, but it wasn’t long before he was gripping the edge of the desk in desperation. Rogue coated his hand in lube and tossed the bottle on the bed. He reached around Rufus and slowly ran his hand along his length while swiping his tongue in a lazy circle around Rufus’ entrance.

The faster he went the harder it was for Rufus to keep his volume under control. Every time Rogue brushed his thumb over his head and plunged his tongue inside of him, he felt his chest swell with a moan louder than the last.

“Rogue, please…” Rufus whimpered.

“Hm?” Rogue slipped a slicked finger inside Rufus and mimicked the ‘come here’ motion repeatedly on his prostate while fondling his balls. Rufus’ hips jerked forward, his chest heaving for breath as he squeezed his legs shut.

“Please fuck me already,” he whined.

Rogue smirked and removed his fingers from his lover, earning a helpless mewl. “Shh, I’ll be right back,” he cooed. Rogue grabbed a condom and the lube. His body was starving for sensation after weeks of nothing. He’d forgotten how much he loved Rufus’ noises, the way he tasted. After getting on the rubber and drizzling lube over his own cock he readied himself at Rufus’ entrance.

“Do you need more prep?” Rogue hesitated.

“No…No I, uh, did plenty of playing while we weren’t seeing each other.”

Rogue bit his lip at the thought and slowly pushed himself inside, shuddering as Rufus clamped around him. “Holy shit…” he moaned, leaning over to plant kisses on Rufus’ shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Please just fuck me,” Rufus begged.

 

Sting followed Orga to his apartment. Rogue was nowhere to be found again so he accepted the offer to get trashed off cheap whiskey with a few strangers and his acquaintance. Orga just needed his wallet. He had nothing against hanging out with the guy, in fact he was a great spotter for strength training, but Sting would’ve preferred a movie and greasy pizza with Rogue. The last time they did that was when Rogue ended up on top of him in a fit of laughter. He missed when his roommate was shy and stayed in all the time. The real question, that everyone but Sting seemed to wonder, was _why_ did Sting miss Rogue so much?

“Oi, you hear somethin’?” Orga interrupted his thoughts.

Sting barely had to strain himself to catch what Orga was referring to. The hard rhythmic thumping of a bed frame slamming against a wall, accompanied by high wailing moans, echoed in the hall. Several people stood outside of the apartments and muttered about the noise.

“Is that…that’s not coming from your place, is it?” Sting asked.

“I think it is.” Orga’s face was bright red.

When they entered the apartment, the sound was unbearable. Even from the living room Sting could make out the slapping of skin against skin and lower grunts of whoever was delivering. He almost laughed, reminiscing about when he used to do the same, until he looked down and recognized Rogue’s faded Vans in the shoe tray. Immediately his knees went weak. Every part of his brain screamed at him to walk away, to not ask the burning question in his throat, but his stubbornness got the better of him. “Hey, Orga, who’s your roommate?”

Orga grabbed his wallet from the couch, still blushing madly. “Rufus, why?”

Sting felt tears prick his eyes. “Son of _bitch_!” he shouted, his voice cracking at the end. The pounding in the apartment stopped but he was already out the door and dialing Minerva’s number.

“He’s fucking RUFUS,” Sting shouted, using his palm to wipe his cheeks again.

“Of ALL the goddamn people on this shit campus he’s sleeping with the waifish twink who didn’t even have the balls to finish the Pocky game with me!” He chugged the rest of his wine and slammed the glass on Minerva’s living room table.

She never saw him like this before. No night of overspending, bad dates, or failed grades brought Sting to hysterics, mostly because things rarely went sour for him, but even when they did, he always managed to shrug it off. Despite the newness of the situation, Minerva couldn’t bring herself to feel bad for Sting. He spent too long using others without repercussions for her to pity him. Rogue was the first and only person to dent his self-esteem this way, and frankly, she sort of liked it.

“Why does it matter so much to you?”

“Don’t play fuckin’ stupid.”

“ _I’m_ playing stupid? Sting, honey, I think you might want to reassess here.”

Sting sniffed loudly and wiped his eyes. He didn’t even want to think of how pathetic he looked, sobbing on his best friend’s couch with a half empty bottle of wine in front of him. For all he knew, Rogue could’ve been sleeping with multiple limp-dicked frail boys. He couldn’t decide what was worse: Rogue becoming Fiore U’s twink slayer, or him being exclusive with Rufus. The latter thought made his vision blurry. Hot tears ran down his flushed cheeks as he buried his face in the crook of his elbow.

Minerva cringed as muffled sobs came from the blond heap a few cushions away from her. She sighed heavily, took the wine away and went to get a glass of water instead. Crying made her uncomfortable; maybe because of the way her dad handled her own sorrows as a kid, maybe because she never knew what to say. She barely managed to comfort Rogue when he had his meltdown in front of her, but at least in that situation she knew she was in the wrong. Sting was just acting like an entitled asshole.

“When are you going to admit it?”

“There’s nothing to admit.”

“Let us note, right here on my couch, that Sting Eucliffe doesn’t cry about shit, yet here he is bawling his eyes out over a My Chemical Reject.”

“Don’t talk about him like that.”

“I rest my case.”

The churning in Sting’s stomach worsened when he considered this really was just unjustified jealousy. He knew he had no good reason to be so upset over Rogue growing into his own, but it did bother him how much of a hypocrite Rogue was being.

“He gave me so much shit for doing exactly this last year, but now that he’s all hot and grown he wants to act different.”

“The difference being you were interrupting his sleep during _finals_ week, Sting.”

“It wasn’t just during finals week.”

“Do you really think that helps your case here?” Minerva looked at him incredulously.

“Okay, no. That still doesn’t change how I feel.”

“Which is?”

“As if you don’t know.”

“Sure I do, but do _you_ know, Sting?”

He bit his lip and sighed hard. Saying it out loud would ruin his image of himself, of the cool, calm collected dickhead who never got bothered by anyone. If he said this out loud, he knew things would change, even without Rogue present. He couldn’t tell if it was worse to give in or keep hiding, so he took a deep breath and stopped thinking before letting himself speak.

“I like him,” Sting mumbled.

“What was that?”

“I said I fucking _like_ him, Minerva. Okay? I like him.”

She fought off the urge to smirk only because he was still sniffling. Minerva leaned towards him and ruffled his hair affectionately. “I know, so go tell him.”


End file.
